Theatre Cares Present: The Company Of Mary Poppins

Theatre Cares Present: The Company Of Mary Poppins

Monday 1 October 2007, 23:30, Trafalgar Studios Theatre, Studio 1

Review by Emma Shane

© 2 October 2007

The billing said it would be: Scarlett Strallen, Gavin Creel, Rebecca Thornhill, and, Louise Gold, with most of the current cast of Mary Poppins; plus a special surprise guest. The latter turned out to be none other than that British grandee of television puppetry, Louise Gold, performing the Spitting Image puppet of The Queen.

The show opened with a dark stage, the only item on it being a kick-stool in front of a silver shred curtain. The three musicians, led by Roger on the keyboards were seated at the side stage right. The Prologue: Shall We Begin, listed as Em Cee Em Cee appeared to use backing tracks, but with various off-stage voices that may well have been members of the cast. In the middle of this, some crew bring on a flat board, which has a window cut near the top half, like a puppet-theatre, which they position over the kick-stool. A little flurry of activity and the Spitting Image latex puppet of The Queen appears in the window. I wonder how many of the audience yet realised the legendary puppeteer Louise Gold literally had a hand in it. One could just see her knees peaking out from stage right of the board (being left-handed, sitting side-on she would have her left hand closest to the audience). Twice Her Maj starts an address, reacting as if someone was telling her not to do that speech. One reaction being “It’s like the bloody Royal Variety” (a reminder perhaps that Louise Gold made her Royal Variety debut thirty years ago as a crazy puppeteer, appearing five years later as one of The Pirates Of Penzance cast). At last she starts The Big Opening Number. This is Comedy Tonight, cleverly changed to Benefit Tonight, with some lyric changes and a number of adlibs, including “Stephen Sondheim can’t rhyme for toffee” Sondheim once said he liked puppetry on stage, I wonder what he would make of having a puppet (performed by Louise Gold, herself a noted singer of Sondheim’s work) saying that! Halfway through the number, after a rewritten lyric, a line about keeping nannies out of sight, she pauses and someone says something about there being a Nannie. Two of the guys (including Gavin Creel) rush on with torches, to and “sniff her out”. (I was momentarily reminded of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang). They dart over to the seats stage left and pull out Scarlett Strallen, dressed in full regalia as Mary Poppins. “I’m just watching the show, I’m watching the show” protests Scarlett, as the boys drag her backstage. Our puppeteer continues by talking abut wanting to see some men, and glancing at the keyboardist adds “Sorry Roger, some young men” Louise then resumes the song, and presently the rest of the company enter. The board is dragged (and kick-stool kicked) away. Thus Louise Gold herself is standing amongst the assembled company, although the audience is paying more attention to the hefty latex puppet on her left arm, than to the performer herself (she is wearing one of her choice gala costumes, black trousers with that semi-transparent loose black top – it looks comfy, and quite appropriate to the situation as she is being more a puppeteer than an actress). Comedy Tonight is one of my favourite Sondheim numbers, it is almost singer-proof, although it can be ruined if silliness is taken too far. However, Louise Gold, as always, is careful to make sure this doesn’t happen (she cares about singing songs properly, even when being different). I particularly loved the remark about Sondheim not being able to rhyme for toffee (it made me think, well her mother’s an am-dram lyricist, who once rhymed “Interfering folk” with “Vaudeville joke”).

The assembled company, including Louise exit without the next number Blackbird, having any introduction. The singing for this appeared to be backing tracks, but is was danced very well by Clare Rickard, Stuart Winter, and, Sam Tyler. It has a clear Fosse influence, Clare Rickard looked as if she was trying to be a Carol Hayney figure.

The company use four handheld microphones, positioned on stands on the stage, these have to be moved around for the different pieces. Louise Gold, entering with Her Maj on her left arm; Her right hand, in the puppet’s sleeve being it’s right hand picks up a microphone stand to bring the microphone over to the bottom stage left corner. Scarlett has also entered, and in front of a microphone Her Maj explains that the reason they don’t want Scarlett performing in the show, is because Scarlet stars eight times a week as it is. Turning to Mary Poppins’s Leading Lady, she says “Now Scarlet if you want to help with the show you can do something useful, like moving the microphones”. Scarlett appears a little clumsy, earning the riposte “That’s what they call dance training” (Louise Gold should know a thing or two about that, she and Scarlett Strallen are both former Arts Ed pupils). Another cutting remark is “It wasn’t like this with Bonnie”, referring to Scarlett’s famous aunt (whom Louise appeared in The Pirates Of Penzance with).

Taking her Host/Compeer’s role, Her Maj introduces the next number, Rebecca Thornhill singing Mrs Banks’ Lament. As Louise and Scarlett exit, out step both Rebecca Thornhill her First Cover Hannah Woolley. This is a fascinating sketch. Amongst theatregoers to the West End, who hasn’t wondered what the principals feel about their “Covers”/Understudies? It’s a fun sketch, as the two actresses pretend to ask each other about how they interact with Aden Gillett. They are interrupted by Gavin Creel coming on with a late-night-show kind of contribution to the scene. The three of then part of Sondheim’s Andrews Sisters’ parody You Could Drive A Person Crazy (supposedly referring to Aden!). An amusing sequence. Probably totally fictitious (one hopes), but a great fun item for a late night show.

At the number’s conclusion Rebecca is left on stage, as Zee Asha enters. There follows a scene with the two in their Mary Poppins’ characters of Mrs Banks and Mrs Brill, with Mrs Banks telling her cook that she wanted her to keep an eye on the children, as “That Mary Poppins has flown off somewhere”, and then relenting “Well mind your back by ten”. Alone on the stage, having commented that we don’t know what Mary Poppins get up with the parrot end of that umbrella (up on the rooftop late at night) Zee removes her coat, flinging it down on the stage (front corner stage left) sings Right About Time. I wasn’t too keen on this number myself, although Zee’s fiery performance was satisfactory, she is a musical theatre professional after all, though it still earned her a cutting comment from Her Maj “You can see why she doesn’t sing in the show”, says Louise, entering at the numbers conclusion, wearing her puppet. She looks round, microphones need moving, she yells for “Scarlett”, as she yells she drops momentarily out of accent, but this doesn’t seem to matter. Scarlett enters, and well there’s a transformation. Scarlett is still dressed as Mary Poppins, only with the skirt of her dress hitched up, a lamp on her hat and wearing workman’s boots. She gathers up Zee’s coat, and moves the microphones for the next number, while Louise says “It’s props dear, just like in Mary Poppins”. Scarlett then endures a cutting remark about her family (from Her Maj) “A dynasty of Langfords, and we have to get this one!”.Louise proceeds to introduce “Three lovely people who are going to sing a lovely song about love”.

This next number is She Loves Me Not, sung by Clare Rickard, John Trakos, and, Andrew Macdonald. It is basically about a love triangle. The first guy loves Clare, who loves the second guy who loves the first guy. It is a sweet number, sweetly sung. And well a very appropriate number to this kind of fundraiser.

Louise (with Her Maj), and Scarlett (who now has a pencil clenched between her teeth) enter. Louise is carrying a piece of paper, which she drops, Scarlett picks it up and holds it, so Louise can read from it. Louise’s lovely tousled red hair is almost falling in her eyes. What with her hair and her puppet it looked a little awkward, but the veteran Muppeteer is quite used to this sort of thing. I think it was at this point Scarlett had a Tesco’s bag slung over her right arm; and both the pen and a piece of paper clenched in her teeth. As Compeer, Louise has to introduce The Band. The puppeteer is doing a terrific job of creating a bossy character (that contrasts very much with her lovely self); she says “Now as I’m The Queen, I haven’t bothered to learn their names. I know the one on the keyboard is Roger” so she gets Roger Davison to introduce the other two, Justin Woodward, and, Richard Pryce. Scarlett goes over to the musicians, with a can of beer (Stella Atois I think). “Oh are you going to give them a cup of tea?” asks Her Maj. Scarlett opens the beer can and hands it to one of the musicians, Her Maj says. “Scarlett, do you really think that’s wise” says Her Maj “have you heard them second show Saturday?”. The use of her puppet is giving Louise a much greater freedom to loosen her tongue. Scarlett continues to hand the musicians their beer; while Louise introduces the next number, Cell Block Tangle, ending with strong growl of relief “And no Kelly Osbourne”.

In fact this is a fairytale take on Cell Block Tango, all the characters are meant to be out of fairytales. Thus Velma Kelly becomes Repunzel, Liz becomes Mary Poppins, Annie becomes Snow White, June becomes Little Red Riding Hood (that was shades of Into The Woods), Hunyak becomes Sleeping Beauty, and Mona becomes Cinderella,. I’m not sure exactly who played which character, but alphabetically the performers are Charlie Bull, Sarah Cortez, Cara Elston, Jane McMurtrie, Maria Ward, and, Hannah Woolley. About halfway through at a cue they all remove part of their clothing, tossing it into a heap on the floor, front stage left. We all know whose job it will be to tidy that up. All in all a pretty funny number. What a bright idea to have a fairytale version of Cell Block Tango. I wasn’t too keen on them including Mary Poppins, although I guess it fitted in with this cast.

Stylistically the next number contrasted, though subject wise it followed on as Claire Machin enters, to sing the first clearly Gay number of the evening Love Story; about growing up with Lesbian fairytales. She sang very well, and engaged the whole audience, gay and straight. Always a good thing to engage the whole audience. Actually she set a standard for the show.

Louise, armed with Her Maj, enters. Louise is accompanied, once again, by Scarlett. Now with her skirt down unhitched, though still wearing the light on her hat. They stand facing the audience, Her Maj says somewhat condescendingly of Scarlett “Now didn’t she do well”. Most of the audience call an enthusiastic “Yes”, “Did someone say no?” asks Her Maj, she continues that as a special treat she’s going to let Scarlet do something in the show. She allows Scarlett to read the text from a paper “Just the text, mind” Her Maj snaps at her. Scarlett begins to read. It’s soon quite obvious the text is supposed to be a speech for Her Maj, and of course Scarlett can’t help trying to get her accent to go a little towards that classic accent (that has been copied by Jessica Martin and Jan Ravens). It’s really very funny. But where does the text end and part of a song begin? As Scarlett begins to sing, Louise uses the nimble fingers of her right hand to suddenly whip out a gun-shaped object (it might have been a kitchen appliance) and point it at Scarlett, “Well I warned you” says Louise, making a noise like a machine-gun as she does so. Trained dancer that she is, Scarlett falls down on her back. Two of the men come on to carry Scarlett off stage, while Louise Gold cues in the next number “a lovely song from our lovely show”.

This time it’s a heterosexual number, all be it one about sadomasochism. Enter Rebecca Thornhill and Louise Davidson dressed in black leather, for their SM version of Stiles & Drewe’s Anything Can Happen If You Let It, very different to the way this cast would normally do that song. Presently the two girls are joined by Stuart Winter, Jonathan Sephton, and Lewis Butler as their victims. The ladies very much dominate the number. Rebecca Thornhill we know is a principal in the show itself. Louise Davidson is one of the covers. She is one of those performers, a bit like Liza Pulman, who as part of an ensemble where the leads have a lot of presence, she’ll merge into the ensemble, and no one gives a damn. Yet when she is given enough of a part of her own to do, she can hold an audience’s attention and make people notice her (Rodgers & Hammerstein’s It’s Me sums up the contrast rather well).

Next up a gentleman, not sure who, in drag as Shirley Bassey enters, he begins to sing Dreamgirls, and is soon followed by too more. This will certainly appeal to a good section of the audience. I wasn’t all that keen on the number myself, but they performed it well. One of the really wonderful beautiful things about this evening’s entertainment is that there is something in it for all the audience. If you’re too keen on one number you’ll probably like the next.

Indeed that is exactly what happened. As soon as the “Dreamgirls” left, lifting up the drapes there wandered onto the stage, dressed as if hiking, Romy Baskerville and Ray C. Davis. Here we got a classic traditional comedy double act, from two veteran performers who really know what they are doing, Side by Side. Towards the end Ray gets down onto the stage, and Romy sits on his back! I’m not quite sure whether this really was an old music hall song, although that is what it sounded like, as they travelled along singing a song. It also earned them some well deserved royal praise. At the number’s conclusion, Louise armed with Her Maj enters and comments on liking the number, and on how nice it was to see two of the older members of the company perform “They’ve got to leave now, to catch the coach back to Denham”. That line is a joke, as Romy at least would appear later in the show. Louise takes her compeer’s place for the last time to introduce the penultimate number, yet another lovely song about love Standing On The Corner.

Lewis Butler, Gavin Creel, Neil Ditt, and, Stephen Kirwan sing Standing On The Corner (Watching All The Girls Go By). This too has had some lyric changes. Firstly to apply it to Soho; and secondly to make it friendly to everyone no matter what their sexuality. They succeeded in striking a balance between being Gay-Friendly, while not being unfriendly to those of us who are straight either. And of course all sing really really well. At the numbers’ conclusion a much moved Gavin Creel stands by a microphone to say a few words; explaining how this show is such a coming together. To have fun and raise some money “for people less fortunate than ourselves”. The “last” song really sums that up Feed The Birds.

On come Romy Baskerville, now wearing a shawl, and Scarlett Strallen now in a simple white evening dress with her blond hair loose, to sing Feed The Birds. Presently they are joined by the rest of the company in a variety of costumes from earlier in the evening. One of the “Dream Girls” is still in his orange dress, The Cell Block Tango people are all dressed for that, Rebecca Thornhill and Louise Davidson are in their black leather. Gavin Creel and co are in their suits; while Louise Gold comes on simply as herself the West End actress (for once without her puppet), joining in sweetly with the singing. The taller performers stand further back, the microphones are down at the front, not that that matters for some of them. According to the programme The Company also included Jonny Bowles, Clare Bonsu, Michael Cantwell, David McMullan, Romeo Saltzer, and, Philip Michael Thomas.

At the numbers’ conclusion Thearecares chairman David Pendlebury, who comes across as delightfully informal enters to thank the company, especially Gavin Creel (who put in a lot of work to make the gala happen). He informs us that a longstanding support of Theatrecares, Ned Sherrin died of cancer earlier today, and therefore he wishes to dedicate tonight’s performance to Ned. It’s not clear whether The Company already knew about this, but some of them look very moved by the news. David goes on to explain that the cast had been wondering whether to end on a upbeat note or not. He had seen their rehearsal and told them to do so. And thus The Company launch enthusiastically into A Super Ending, one number they certainly didn’t need to rehearse, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. In the middle of this the cast took their bows, as they did so, Louise Gold waved her left hand; was I reading too much into it? or was she trying to remind people that her clever left-hand had certainly played its part in tonight’s entertainment? At the conclusion all the cast exit the stage via the main auditorium entrance, principals first. One of them either Scarlett or Gavin (I think it was Scarlett) indicating to Louise Gold (who was near the back of the stage) to move suddenly to the front and exit with the other principals (she was third off, after Gavin and Scarlet). What a super ending indeed.

All in all a practically perfect delightful show. It was just full of fun. The cast put a lot of hard work into it, but they also appeared to be enjoying it. It was incredibly well written. I would love to know who were responsible for that. There were lots of great lyric alterations, especially to Comedy Tonight, but also notably to Anything Can Happen, and, Standing On The Corner. In addition the linking material, particularly as acted out by Scarlett Strallen and Louise Gold appears to be brilliantly scripted. The show was so wonderfully inclusive. It was full of people being proud to be themselves. You don’t need to hide what you are: Straight, gay, transvestites, into SM, didn’t matter. But it isn’t just sexuality that people may feel they need to hide. Family backgrounds and unusual multitalented strands to people’s careers were also covered. Scarlett Strallen very gamely being mercilessly ribbed about her theatrical family (and famous child-star aunt); while Louise Gold (who has been known to hide her puppetry in a bid to be taken seriously as an actress) demonstrated her accomplishments as a puppeteer. Tonight’s show was very much about turning the tables on the established order of things. There were: rewritten lyrics to well known showtunes (including Rebecca Thornhill and Louise Davidson’s Anything Can Happen If You Let It), a Sondheim number sung by an impertinent puppet, Leading Man Gavin Creel appearing as just well one of the guys. And in particular there was the running gag of having Mary Poppins’s Leading Lady Scarlett Strallen running around as an ASM or stagehand character moving microphones and such like; while being bossed about (and eventually got rid of) by a character performed by the actress whose own character, Ms Andrew, gets vanquished by Scarlett’s Mary Poppins in that show. If you are going to have an actress with as much presence as Scarlett Strallen being treated thus, you are going to need someone with a lot of presence to do it. Also with both Mary Poppins’s leads being very definitely not in leading positions, there is a need for someone to act as host or compeer (call it what you will) to hold the show together. So who better to fit the bill than an actress who seventeen years earlier was herself a Leading Lady (in Anything Goes) at the Prince Edward Theatre. And just to complete the table turning, although she appears in this show because she is a West End actress in the cast of Mary Poppins, she actually takes part in it as the famous puppeteer she also is. These days, thanks largely to Avenue Q, West End audiences are more used to actors suddenly turning up with puppets on their arm, but let’s not forget that Louise Gold was there first, The English Muppet has been both an actress and a puppeteer, before some of Avenue Q’s performers were even born! She makes a terrific job of performing role of host, perhaps she learned a lot more than just puppetry from Jim Henson’s Muppets. Hosting the show with a puppet, that also does something extra for Louise. It frees her up. Cuddly glamorous Louise Gold is a very nice person, although as an actress she can play monstrously nasty characters, there are many things which if she is being herself in a cabaret she will never say. Having the puppet on her hand gives her the freedom, because the puppet will say them. There are many puppeteers out there who would take that sort of freedom far too far and be completely outrageous, sometimes unpleasantly so. Louise Gold is not like that, while performing a puppet she can be downright cheeky and impertinent, but she will never abuse that freedom. She will not hurt anyone with her puppets’ jokes. If her puppet character ribs or slags off someone she is on stage or TV with, you just know that performer must be comfortable with that. Partly that too is her own nice personality, but also she is a Henson-trained puppeteer, and Jim Henson would never have gone too far either.

Not going too far, was something else that ran through this delightful gala. People, removed layers of clothing, but rarely exposed that much of themselves, undergarments perhaps, and maybe the odd male chest, but no further. Yes some of the song lyrics were dirty, but not offensively explicit. It was an adult show, of course (late night and all that), but the emphasis was on having a laugh, not trying to shock. The show had a real sense of good fun, you can’t call it clean, but it was good. It didn’t take itself too seriously, but it wasn’t completely silly either. It retained a sense of what is proper. In a way a bit like some of the classic ATV comedies such as Morecombe & Wise or The Muppets used to (one can only speculate as to whether that was pure coincidence or if the presence of one of the actual Muppet Show puppeteers had anything to do with that).One thing tonight’s entertainment had in common with those two legendary programmes, was the whole theme of putting on a show, largely involving a tight-knit group of people who are used to working together, with perhaps the odd interloper, who might get a abused. But in a comedy-variety way that would never go too far. People get their just deserts, but in a largely jolly, funneee, laughable manner. This was a show that brought out the best in it’s company. American actor Gavin Creel was well, very much one of the team. Scarlet Strallen was very game, one just had to admire her for having the courage to play the role concocted for her. Everyone seems to have given of their best, with a verve and enthusiasm that shone through.

Perhaps the nicest thing of all about this gala, was that Louise Gold, played a proper staring role, truly worthy of her talents, in it. So often she’s taken part in galas and been very much a dependable workhorse, but never a star. She’ll take on the number the nobody else wants to do (because they can’t possibly do it as well as some legendary performer once did it), she’ll sing a duet and cover for the bigger-name co-star who can’t remember the lyrics, she’s the one performer the host forgets to introduce, or the one landed with the dodgy radio mike, she’s the mazilk who’ll liven things up with some piece of outrage so subtle half the audience didn’t realise it was scripted; she gets landed with a duet that’s really in the wrong key for her voice, but she does her best with it. anyway. She’s the kind of versatile performer good galas can always do with, but she rarely gets the limelight. Tonight, however, she certainly did. Apart from her own cabaret act, I don’t think I’ve seen her play a role that so totally and absolutely suited her talents as this one did, since The Waterbabies. It was a real treat to see her so brilliantly used. In a gala that was so full of fun, joy, and above all a real team effort from The Company of Mary Poppins. Well done to each and every one of them.

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Webmaster's footnote: It has since been established (thanks to Ms R. T.) that the writing credits included the following: Additional lyrics to Comedy Tonight, and, Standing On The Corner (Watching All The Girls Go By) were written by Gavin Creel; Additional lyrics to The Cell Block Tango, and, Anything Can Happen If You Let It, along with the introduction to You Could Drive A Person Crazy were written by Rebecca Thornhill; while the dialogue for Scarlett and Her Maj was concocted (via improvisation) by Scarlett Strallen and Louise Gold.