50 Favourite Musicals: 33: SWEET CHARITY (1966) (Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields)

The 50 shows that have stood out down the years and, as we get up among the paint cards, the shows that have become the cast recording of my life:

First performed: 1966, Palace Theatre, NY

First seen by me: 2009, Menier Chocolate Factory, London

Productions seen: one

Score: Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields
Book: Neil Simon

Plot:  Charity Hope Valentine is an unlucky-in-love but ever-optimistic taxi dancer in a run-down Manhattan dance hall. One day she gets trapped in a stalled lift with a shy but panicky tax advisor called Oscar.  Slowly a romance blossoms... is this Charity's moment?   

Five memorable numbers: BIG SPENDER, RHYTHM OF LIFE, THERE'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING BETTER THAN THIS, I LOVE TO CRY AT WEDDINGS, IF MY FRIENDS COULD SEE ME NOW

Two female characters dominated the 1965/66 Broadway season, Auntie Mame Dennis and Charity Hope Valentine, two indomitable survivors of life's vicissitudes, but neither MAME or SWEET CHARITY ultimately claimed the Best Musical award which went to doughty old MAN OF LA MANCHA; a decision that in retrospect seems odd.  Indeed out of it's nine Tony nominations it only won Best Choreography for Bob Fosse's memorable work.  Going by the film versions alone - I've not seen MAME OF LA MANCHA on stage! - SWEET CHARITY wins hands down.  It's Overture blares out like a traffic jam of NY cabs, showcasing the contemporary and brassy feel of Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields' score with it's remarkable collection of songs: cynical and hard-edged numbers that cover the heroine's sadness with a noisy bravado.  Blessed with a wisecracking but sympathetic book by the then-King of Broadway comedy Neil Simon, the story is based on Federico Fellini's NIGHTS OF CABIRIA - the first of three musicals based on his films, the others being Lionel Bart's flop LA STRADA and Maury Yeston's hit NINE.  Simon also creates great supporting characters like Nickie and Helene, Charity's comrades in the dance hall, Herman the grouchy manager and Oscar, Charity's latest chance at happiness.  Bob Fosse - who conceived the show for his muse Gwen Verdon as well as directing it - choreographed memorable routines and these moments stud the plot like zircon buttons.  With it's glorious score and memorable characters, SWEET CHARITY has been regularly revived and, although it flopped on release, Fosse's film version keeps delivering down the years.

There are plenty of videos of SWEET CHARITY but I thought I'd stick with the trailer for the Menier production - it's a nice reminder of the winning performances of Tamzin Outhwaite, Marc Umbers and Josefina Gabrielle, as well as the excellent pairing of Ebony Molina and Paul J Medford who made THE RICH MAN'S FRUG such a thrilling experience.

THE BOX OF DELIGHTS at Wilton's Music Hall - Step back in time...

Before Harry Potter, before Narnia, before The Lord of The Rings, before The Hobbit, there was John Masefield's 1935 fantasy novel THE BOX OF DELIGHTS - and even that was a sequel to THE MIDNIGHT FOLK written in 1927.  I always wondered what would be the production that finally lured me east of the Tower of London to the famous Wilton's Music Hall... I would never have guessed it was a stage version of this English fantasy classic!

It was all very charming but the real thrill was to finally see inside Wilton's.  It is a real curiosity and is hugely evocative of the several uses the building has seen since John Wilton opened the existing building up as a Music Hall in 1859.  Since then it has been a Methodist Mission - staying open during the two World Wars and the battle of Cable Street - and a rag warehouse.  Threatened with demolition it was saved in the early 70s but struggled through neglect and under-investment until the early 2000s were a more structured conservation was launched.

The faded history of the auditorium was a good fit for this nostalgic winter entertainment, even down to a Christmas tree next to the stage - it's evocative crumbling quality matching the 1930s tale of public school boys, guardians, a slinky witch and both good and bad magicians.

The action all took place on the oddly high proscenium stage with various levels built up and shrouded in dust-cloths.  When revealed there were old mahogany wardrobes and cupboards which were used for entrances for every sort of room and of course - because I did not get my fill in PINOCCHIO - yes, more puppets.  However these were done n a fraction of the budget of the National Theatre show so could be forgiven - especially as one was for Toby the utter scamp of a dog owned by the good magician Cole Hawlings.

Young orphan Kay Harker (a boy despite the name) is on a train heading for the country town of Tatchester where he will plans to spend Christmas with his guardian.  He meets a mysterious older man who says he is a Punch & Judy puppeteer and shows him a mysterious box which he claims can be used for magic by whoever owns it.

Kay soon discovers that an evil magician wants the box too and will stop at nothing to get his hands on it with the help of his two accomplices, the glamorous witch Pouncer and the hapless Charles.  Kay teams up with the scrappy tomboy Mariah and her more nervous brother Peter to stop the evil magician from stealing the box and also spoiling the Christmas service in Tatchester Cathedral.  Of course Kay triumphs - this was the 1930s after all - but he has to use all his ingenuity to do it as well as a climax under water - or blue silk as it is here.

Children's author Piers Torday has adapted the book for the stage - it has been done countless times on radio and television - and although there were some muddy moments when the plot seems to get lost in all the opening and closing of cupboard doors, I actually had a very pleasant time sitting in that space, watching that play.

Torday has shifted the tale a few years closer to 1939 to give the tale a more obvious England-in-peril from outside influences feel and the rather glum proceedings are rarely given a kid-friendly spin so it at times felt like a very austere fairy tale but there was always something inventive happening... a puppet phoenix suddenly flaring into video life, a car turning into an airplane before our eyes, etc.  I also think we should have had more of Toby the scruffy mutt who belongs to the good magician - he's a real hero.

Matthew Kelly had the double role of good magician Cole Hawlings and the bad magician Abner Brown and was more successful as the former than the latter while Josefina Gabrielle had great fun as Pouncer, the glamorous Fenella Fielding-like witch and doubled up as the careworn guardian Caroline Louisa.

I also liked the slippery, hissable villain Charles played by Tom Kanji; our young heroes were well-played by Alistair Toovey as the resourceful Kay, Saffiya Ingar as Mariah and Samuel Simmonds as Peter and there was steady, unshowy direction from Justin Audibert.  The something-out-of-nothing design was by Tom Piper and the spooky lighting was by Anna Watson.

It was a good way to get started on my Christmas week theatregoing and - finally - I can say I have seen a production inside Wilton's Music Hall.