Noel/Cole: Let's Do It (Stage Production)

Louise Gold starred in this David Kernan revue, as herself, in various venues, the first being at an Arts Festival in Memphis Tennessee, at the end of January 1994, and the most notable being at The Chichester Festival Theatre from the 27th July 1994. The show has also toured, although there have been some cast changes along the way.

 

Ms Gold has been with the show since it took on it’s current form for Memphis, in her own words

 “It was just great in Memphis. I just said yes. I’d have said yes to whatever it was, just to go to Memphis.” Louise Gold to Phil Hewitt, THE CHICHESTER OBSERVER, 21 July 1994

After Memphis the show found itself in Oxford, which Louise herself describes as follows

 “I was pleasantly surprised in Oxford. The feel of it was like a party, a celebration that we were all part of. There was a feeling of warmth, and it really communicated itself to the audience” Louise Gold to Phil Hewitt, THE CHICHESTER OBSERVER, 21 July 1994

Louise's two longstanding colleagues in the show described her, and her performance, as follows:

 “Louise Gold, an exciting new musical talent". David Kernan, Programme Notes & CD Sleeve Notes

 "In the first half, Louise and I both wear trouser suits. Mine is silk chiffon in a shade of taupe: Louise's is brown silk with a beaded bodice. In the second half, we both wear long dresses - Louise looks great in a slinky black number slit to the thigh - she's got wonderful legs!" Liz Robertson (Lerner) to Helen Taylor, THE RICHMOND AND TWICKENHAM TIMES, 24 February 1995

Revue’s can be difficult shows to describe, Ms Gold, who comes from something of a family tradition of this art form, summed up this particular show as:

 “It’s absolutely enchanting. This is not a play. This is not a musical. It is just a joyous evening. It’s a little bit of history on the stage.” Louise Gold to Phil Hewitt, THE CHICHESTER OBSERVER, 21 July 1994

 

Cast:

 

Memphis & Oxford

Singers - Liz Robertson, Louise Gold and David Kernan

Narrator - Ned Sherrin

Guest Appearances - Sally Ann Howes and Peter Greenwell

 

Chichester

Singers - Liz Robertson, Louise Gold and David Kernan

Narrator - Robin Ray

Guest Appearances - Pat Kirkwood and Peter Greenwell

Understudies:

Standby for Mr Kernan & Mr Ray - Peter Sutherland

Standby for Miss Gold & Miss Robertson - Rebecca Chapman

 

Guildford & Richmond

Singers - Liz Robertson, Louise Gold and David Kernan

Narrator - Francis Matthews

Guest Appearances - Peter Greenwell

 

Production Team

Memphis

Songwriters - Noel Coward and Cole Porter

Complied by - David Kernan

Production & Stage Manager – Kevin Mullary

Musical Arrangements - Jason Carr and Paul Bateman

 

Oxford

Songwriters - Noel Coward and Cole Porter

Written by Ned Sherrin

Complied by - David Kernan

Presented by - Show People ’90 Limited

Director & Choreography- David Toguri

Production & Stage Manager - Kevin Mullery

Production Assistant - Barbara Toye

Lighting by - Tim Boyd

Sound by - Will Peachey

Musical Arrangements - Jason Carr and Paul Bateman

 

Chichester, Guildford & Richmond

Songwriters - Noel Coward and Cole Porter

Complied by - David Kernan

Additional Material - Robin Ray and Dick Vosburgh

Director - David Kernan

Musical Staging & Choreography - Jeff Thacker

Designer - Michael Pavelka

Lighting by - Hugh Wooldrige

Sound by - Tom Lishman

Musical Arrangements - Jason Carr with Paul Bateman

Musical Director - Matthew Freeman

Costumes (for: Miss Robertson, Miss Gold, & Mr Kernan) - Krizia

Miss Gold's hairstyle - Michael John 25 Albemarle Street London W1

 

Tour Dates

Arts Festival in Memphis Tennessee - End of (probably the last week of) January 1994

Oxford Play House Theatre - 7 - 12 February 1994

Chichester Festival Theatre - from 27 July to 1 October 1994

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford , 14 - 25 February 1995

Richmond Theatre, Surrey, 27 February - 4th March 1995

There may well have been other performances not listed, for example, the show did two private gigs in Madame Tusauds (right among the statues) sometime in 1996 or 1997.

 

For a Review of the show when it played Richmond Theatre please click here.

The Chichester cast made a cast album recording of the songs in show, which was released on both CD and audio cassette.

 

Louise Gold has appeared in quite a number of Cole Porter musicals, besides Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It, she has also appeared in the Ethel Merman quintet of shows: Anything Goes, Red Hot & Blue, Du Barry Was A Lady (see: Du Barry Was A Lady (1993 Production) and Du Barry Was A Lady (2001 Production)), Panama Hattie, and, Something For The Boys, she has also appeared in Kiss Me Kate. However, she has made all too few recordings, the only albums of her singing Cole Porter are Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It, and the JAY/TER studio cast album of Anything Goes (recording) - Website Recommended Album.

It is perhaps worth noting that Paul Bateman’s arrangement of The Physician, at least, was one which he never wrote down, but played from memory every time they did the show.

Louise Gold and David Kernan had previously appeared together in Sondheim At The Barbican

David Kernan had previously produced and directed Liz Robertson and Louise Gold in Chicago & Company, which Ned Sherrin also narrated part of, and for which Jason Carr was also a Musical Director.

David Kernan had previously produced and appeared in Broadway To Brighton, which Louise Gold also appeared in, and which Ned Sherrin also narrated and Jason Carr played the piano.

Liz Robertson’s Cole Porter recording credits include: Cole Porter - Night And Day

Liz Robertson has previously appeared in The Royal Variety (1982), Chicago & Company, and, A Time To Start Living, she went on to appear in Regents Park 70th Anniversary Gala, and, Happily Ever After.

Ned Sherrin, Paul Batemen and Louise Gold had all worked together on the musical Ziegfeld and the album Ziegfeld (recording)

Ned Sherrin and Louise Gold had previously worked on Metropolitan Mikado and it's highlights concert Ratepayers' Iolanthe & Metropolitan Mikado. They went on to appear on Ned Sherrin’s Review Of Revue

Louise Gold and Peter Sutherland had previously appeared together in Blood Brothers

Louise Gold, David Kernan, Ned Sherrin, and, Peter Sutherland may have appeared together in Comedy Tonight, which was umpired by David Kernan along with Lighting Designer Hugh Woolridge, and partly choreographed by David Toguri.

Louise Gold and Liz Robertson may have previously appeared together, along with Sally Ann Howes and David Kernan in Will-Aid which was directed by David Kernan, along with Ned Sherrin.

Peter Greenwell composed and arranged some of the music for Will-Aid

A little later in 1994, Louise Gold and Dick Vosburgh were opposing Team Captains on a BBC Radio quiz show about musicals Let’s Do The Show Right Here.

Perhaps appropriately, given that Cole Porter was left-handed, there were a high number of 'Cack-handed' performers in the cast, David Kernan, Liz Robertson and Louise Gold are all left-handed. The trio went on to appear together in a revival of another Kernan revue, Side By Side By Sondheim. They also all appeared in Side By Side's 25th Anniversary gala, and, Side By Side By Sondheim 30th Anniversary Gala.

Kevin Mullary went on to do stage management for Side By Side's 25th Anniversary gala, he was also involved with Spitting Image.

Show People ’90 Limited had previous presented Kids At Heart and A Time To Start Living

Sally Ann Howes, David Kernan and Paul Bateman had previously been involved with Kids At Heart

Paul Bateman and Matthew Freeman’s conducting talents can be found on The Greatest Musicals of the 20th Century

Matthew Freeman’s conducting talents can also be found on The Great Musicals – Dashing Heroes, Blushing Maidens.

David Kernan, and, Liz Robertson’s recording credits include The Great Musicals – Laughter And Tears, which also features Matthew Freeman’s conducting talents.

Louise Gold had appeared at The New Oxford Theatre many years previously in The Land Of The Dinosaurs, just before a life-changing audition.

Louise Gold subsequently appeared at The Chichester Festival Theatre, The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and Richmond Theatre in The Cherry Orchard.

Louise Gold has gone on to appear at The Chichester Festival Theatre in The Gondoliers and  The Water Babies. She has also appeared there in a one night charity gala Curtain Up, and co-hosted the Christmas Concerts 2003.

Louise Gold, and, Jason Carr went on to appear together at The Chichester Festival Theatre in Final Chic Cabaret 2003.

Louise Gold also went on to appear in the film Topsy Turvy, part of which was filmed at Richmond Theatre.

Louise Gold had previously puppeteered on a Spitting Image special The Sound Of Maggie, which was also filmed at Richmond Theatre.

With the benefit of hindsight satire sometimes has a habit of being uncannily ironic in a way in which the writers themselves had no idea of at the time. An example of such irony occurred at the end of this show, when the cast sang a variation of the song Let’s Do It Let’s Fall In Love, with some additional lyrics by David Kernan, Robin Ray and Dick Vosbourgh. One of these lyrics (sung, at any rate in Richmond, by Louise Gold) was “Even Major with his shirt tucked in his pants does it”. It would be seven long years before everyone realised just how ironic that line turns out to be.

The Chichester Festival Theatre complex once again echoed to the sound of Mrs Worthington in 2003, when Desmond Barrit sang it in the show Curtain Up

After Ned Sherrin’s death The Company Of Mary Poppins dedicated their late night FUNdraising special to him.

Jason Carr had previously worked on Chicago & Company and A Time To Start Living. He has gone on to, help out on 110 In The Shade, and, One Touch Of Venus (2000 Production) , and provide musical accompaniment, for Louise Gold, on: Broadway To Brighton, Oh Kay,  A Lost Musicals Occasion, Defiant Dames, Final Chic Cabaret 2003 , Dead By 12 and Louise Gold’s cabaret act Louise Gold ... By Appointment While Louise Gold has gone on to star in the inaugural production of Jason Carr’s musical The Water Babies (at the Chichester Festival Theatre).

The performances at Richmond Theatre coincided with Louise Gold starring on a studio cast recording of Stop The World I Want To Get Off. Thus she was recording by day, and performing on stage by night. But from her performance on the stage you would never have known it.

As an award for their performances in Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It, those members of the cast who played the show in Memphis Tennessee (Liz Robertson, Louise Gold, David Kernan, Ned Sherrin, Sally Ann Howes, Peter Greenwell, Jason Carr and Paul Batemen, and even Kevin Mullary) have been made honorary citizens of Memphis Tennessee.  

Thirteen years later found Louise Gold once again performing in the town of Richmond Upon Thames, this time at The Orange Tree Theatre in Next Door’s Baby

Liz Robertson went on to get Louise Gold to take part in Shopping With The Stars.

 

Critics Comments

 “ Still, if we are to hve compilations like this, you can’t do better than this cast: five fine singers, two good pianists, and Ned Sherrin linking the songs with witty commentary. The three main singers were splendid: the sweet Liz Robertson, the sassy Louise Gold and the suavely relaxed David Kernan.” Tony Augarde, THE OXFORD TIMES, 11 February 1994, p16.

 “Louise Gold gives a marvellously gutsy account of Porter’s Blow Gabriel Blow.” Chris Gray, OXFORD MAIL, Tuesday 8 February 1994, p9.

 "A cast of three - Kernan, Liz Robertson and Louise Gold - perform admirably and complement one another neatly." John Gross, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, 31 July 1994.

 "Liz Robertson, all class, and the vivacious Louise Gold join Mr Kernan to sing faultlessly some of the incomparable material bequeathed by these giants" Bill Hagerty, TODAY, 28 July 1994.

 “Liz Robertson and Louise Gold deliver a remarkably powerful Twentieth Century Blues.” Phil Hewitt, THE CHICHESTER OBSERVER, 28 July 1994.

 "Louise Gold, it has to be said, achieves the impossible: she makes Ethel Merman look subtle." Clive Hirshhorn, SUNDAY EXPRESS, 31 July 1994.

 “There was no denying the creativity, not to mention the skills of the singers Louise Gold, David Kernan and Liz Robertson” David Howe, THE STAGE, February 1994.

  "Gold looks a tougher cookie and proves a dab hand with the whip in Porter's "Brush Up Your Shakespeare". Her voice effortlessly manages the octave leap in "The Physician" but I wish she had included the line where he does a double hurdle as she shakes her pelvic girdle, because she would have shaken it so well" Jeremy Kingston, THE TIMES, 1 August 1994.

 "Louise Gold provided a very different The Physician and a belting Blow Gabriel Blow." Michael Sell, THE STAGE, 25 August 1994.

 “Could yet more renditions of Alice Is At It Again or Katie Went To Haiti possibly uphold the challenging and sophisticated standards one has come to hope from this versatile venue? Within five minutes Blow, Gabriel Blow had helped to clear the air of any lingering doubts.”... “The singers - Liz Robertson, Louise Gold and David Kernan - inject the compelling combination of lightning movement and grace with crystal clear diction and vocal power” Gary Shipton, WEST SUSSEX GASSETTE, 4 August 1994.

 “....they are performed thrillingly here by Kernan and his excellent partners-in-song, Liz Robertson and Louise Gold.” Charles Spencer, DAILY TELEGRAPH, 29 July 1994.

 "Louise Gold is a surprise - she might have been designed for musicals with her great voice and superb legs." Helen Taylor, THE RICHMOND AND TWICKENHAM TIMES, 3 March 1995.

 "Miss Gold with a vibrato belt to rival Ethel Merman" Jack Tinker, DAILY MAIL, 28 July 1994.

 "Louise Gold a tousled red haired virago with a voice that could cut steel, gives the latter full rein in Blow Gabriel Blow and snarls her way effectively through The Physician " Aline Waites, PLAYS AND PLAYERS, September/October 1994.

 

Links about Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It

TheatreNow.Com interview: Gold On Stage: Louise Gold In Follies: http://www.theatrenow.com/asp/link.htm?news.asp?art=3430&cat=1  This is an interview carried out by Theatre.Com’s Paul Webb, one hot summer’s day, while Louise was appearing in Follies at The Royal Festival Hall. Although the interview is ostensibly about her role in Follies she also talks about her other Sondheim performances, and Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It in Memphis Tennessee, as well as: Political Theatre, and Spitting Image.

The Cole Porter Reference Guide (includes a piece about Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It): http://www.geocities.com//porterguide/

About Maria http://www.aboutmaria.com/letsdoit.html - this is a page about David Kernan’s prototype version of the show at The Barbican on 19 October 1989. Neither Louise Gold or Liz Robertson had anything to do with this prototype version.  

 

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