Chewing the Scenery

When? Tuesday 25th October 2011
Where? Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, stalls
Who? David Essex, Louise English, David Burrows, Rob Compton, Tim Newman, Susan Hallam Wright, Tanya Robb, Barry Bloxham, Susan Hall, James Hill, Gareth Leighton, Louise Lenihan, Luke Baker and Edie Campbell

David Essex’s jukebox musical All the Fun of the Fair arrived at the “City Lights”* of the Bradford Alhambra last night to a very warm “Welcome”* from the packed audience – admittedly mostly die-hard David Essex fans, who cheered and applauded practically his every move. There is little doubt that it is Essex who sells this show single-handedly and, despite some problems with the book, All the Fun of the Fair provides an enjoyable evening of musical theatre for the masses.

Taken from the 1975 album of the same name, All the Fun of the Fair tells the serious-ish story of the relationship between travelling fair owner Levi (Essex) and his laddish son Jack (Compton) as Levi struggles to keep the fair afloat, whilst coming to terms with the loss of his wife, who tragically died a year earlier in a motorcycle stunt called the Wall of Death. It is the inherently contradictory nature of the production which both interests and infuriates in equal measure – unsure whether it is a drama or a sing-along musical, the final product can be slightly confusing. The dramatic scenes are genuinely and movingly acted, but at times the cast burst into song without warning, somewhat lessening the dramatic impact of the scene which had preceded it. None more so than a touching scene between “Father and Son”* which was suddenly and inexplicably followed by a rather camptastic “Hold Me Close” complete with brightly coloured balloons. That is not to say the numbers aren’t enjoyable; the audience clapped and sang along throughout, particularly whenever Essex was on-stage (which is the majority of the show). Director Nikolai Foster does his best to make the material fit the framework but the acted or ‘serious’ scenes are almost insular in their disconnection from the pure ‘jukebox’ musical numbers such as “Rock On”, “Gonna Make You a Star” and “Silver Dream Machine” which have little or no relation to the plot – but in reality, these are the numbers which actually work the best. Foster believes that there is little point in trying to make songs into something they aren’t and I tend to agree – after hours of thinking and a sleepless night, I have been unable to think of a way of working “Hold Me Close” into a coherent narrative. Whilst the book might not stand up under a “Lamplight”* examination, it is not terrible and is comparable to other jukebox musicals on the circuit.

Given the unenviable task of trying to accommodate 80% of the audience’s expectations of seeing a David Essex concert and, at the same time, offering a legitimate theatre experience to those who want it, both Essex and Foster have, overall, succeeded in creating an entertaining evening of lighthearted musical theatre. There are sprinklings of “Stardust”* in the production – the first act finale stood out, and some genuinely impressive stage magic in the finale guaranteed a standing ovation. The fairground set design (Ian Westbrook) is simple yet superb in the context of the production as is Ben Cracknell’s lighting. The carousel horses were a nice touch and goes to show what can be done with physical set on a budget without resorting to the overuse of projections. One unavoidable criticism of productions such as this one is, for budgetary reasons, the cast is on the small side, leaving the Alhambra stage looking incredibly bare in ensemble scenes – not even the inclusion of three working dodgem cars plus cast plus set could fill the stage.

The performances are, on the whole, very solid; Louise English as the gypsy seer Rosa gives a nice performance with a thick Oirish accent to boot, hers was, in my opinion, the most interesting character as I felt there was a whole other side to her that we’re yet to see. Her stage daughter and Essex’s real-life wife, Susan Hallam-Wright gives the stand out performance in the ensemble with the best vocals in the cast as Mary. Tanya Robb’s acting was fine as Alice and Rob Compton gives a good David Essex impersonation as Jack, particularly excelling in his acting. The two share quite a few “Hot Love”* moments between them, with Mary making up the love triangle. Tim Newman gives a nice turn as Jonny, initially the comic foil but latterly an important character in the plot. As for David Essex, well he certainly surpassed my expectations and remains as popular with his key demographic as he has ever been. He was cheered throughout by the enthusiastic but well-behaved audience and, when he appeared in the finale atop a motorcycle in his leathers, they went berserk. His singing was gruff but never strained; it is clear Essex feels very passionately about this piece and gave his all. Whilst his voice is perhaps not what it was, he lacked nothing in effort or easy charm on stage and certainly continues to woo his fans even in his advancing years. His standing ovation was inevitable – it is certainly not the performance of his career, but for the sheer amount of effort and success in writing and promoting his production, he deserved the plaudits.

After a brief but successful West End run, it is doubtful whether “America”* beckons for this touring production – but one thing is clear, Essex’s return to musical theatre success has opened a “Brave New World”* for him.

- Harry Zing
Chewingthescenery.com

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Notes

*Sorry