Musicals, of course, are what powers London’s West End and make it the multimillion pound industry that it is but until recently not enough attention was being paid to creating new ones and we were completely dependent on importing the latest Broadway hits.New shows are enormously difficult to get right and the cost of taking them to a commercial level with no guarantee of success usually makes the few producers with the power to develop them run back to the relative safety of importing proven hits from America and/or producing new work that’s based on well known films with titles the public recognise i.e Bend it Like Beckham, Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, Spamalot, The Commitments, Ground Hog Day, Matilda etc, etc.
Fortunately we’re now seeing a ground swell of new musical theatre writing happening on the fringe, almost a deluge in the last six months. Keep your eyes open and take a chance on a show you’ve never heard of in one of London’s tinier theatres and you just might spot the next Tony award winner.
A good place to start is the Union Theatre, an atmospheric space in a railway arch near Southwark Station. I love it as a venue to make theatre in and it’s a friendly place to hang out and spot new talent.
Currently playing there is a new musical called THE WHITE FEATHER that’s been directed & developed by Andrew Keates with a book by Ross Clark and Andrew Keates, music & lyrics by Ross Clark and additional songs by Matthew Strachan.
Mostly set around the First World War it tells the story Georgina Briggs’ fight for justice when her brother is one of 300 allied soldiers executed for cowardice, many of whom probably suffered from what we now know as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Gerorgina wants to find out what exactly happened and to ensure her brother's name is carved on the local war memorial with the other casualties. You may remember TVs Downton Abbey, recently covered similar territory.
The next Les Mis will emerge from evenings such as this.
This is a new show that’s not afraid to break away from established musical theatre conventions. For instance there’s no building to applause points in the numbers, instead of one or two central characters there’s six that come in and out of focus, there’s plunging time shifts and plot twists based around discovering that at least 4 of the characters are gay and, goodness me, these late Edwardians all have a surprisingly modern concept of homosexuality.
Over-blessed with plot, ideas and aspirations then yet anchored with a soothing, folk inspired score it’s still admirably braver than anything you’ll see in the West End and lovingly staged and performed by director Andrew Keates’ cast and creative team.
Adam Pettigrew and Abigail Matthews are lovely as the brother and sister and Zac Hamilton makes a strong impression as one of those sneaky gays.
The next Les Mis will emerge from evenings such as this.
Whilst the nineteenth century yielded few great plays it certainly provided a feast of fine novelists and Charlotte Bronte’s JANE EYRE has remained a firm favourite down the generations.