Promising Production Of Popular Musical

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32117, 13 October 1969, Page 14

Promising Production Of Popular Musical

Fings Ain't Wbt They Used TBe. By Frank Norman. Music by Lionel Bart Produes* for the Repertory HSSUXS Peek. October 11-18. Running timer M 8 to 10.15. At list the Repertory Fheatre has Mt on a production which through its own merit has the makings of a real crowd-puller. sSAt the

moment, though, the show as a whole needs to be tightened up. About half of the songs are very well done, and the rest - are competent;. this would not matter if the gaps between them were not sometimes so lengthy as to give each number an unduly independent prominence. Also* the story-line is not strong

enough to hold attention for long on its own. And so on the first night both acts started at a healthy pace and really engaged the audience; but they slowly wound down to leave one at the end wondering just what it was that had been so good. Undoubtedly one of the best things was the acting of Mervyn Glue, who excels at this kind of role and in the first act gave his gamblinghouse all the good-hearted depravity it needs. Without much help from the script, he gave a character portrayal which was dominating enough to carry the production over the early lulls. Interest in him wss only beginning to wane when in frolicked the decorator (Anthony B. Stuart), who looked rather like the Soutine thoir-boy and made the whole place look like a surrealist circus-tent. Mr Stuart’s move-

ment was very good indeed, and his first dance in the second act was one of the high spots; it would have helped if some of the others had tried to emulate him when they were “going contemporary.” But once Horace’s vitality flagged there was nothing fresh to take over; Alfred Taylor made the most of Redhot, and Paul Sonne was always entertaining as Tosher, but these are light-weight parts which are only good for the supporting laugh.

The weakness of the ending seems to rest in the Teddy Boys, who looked reasonably good in “Carve Up,” but were very ragged in “The Student Ponce” and through their own weakness detracted from the stature of Freddy. But if the Teddy Boys looked like ineffectual yobs, the Tarts certainly looked like tarts, capable of the whole gamut of Street Offences. . . Penny Nisbet summarised their plight in her wistfully ironical “Where Do Little Birds Go?” The girls’ dancing was suitably routined, and Betty (Valerie Pendrey) moved with a casual take-it-or-leave-it air which had all the necessary confidence. George Williams’ choreography was interesting without being destructive to the unassuming mood of the musical. There are clearly some things which need to be smoothed out; but it is very pleasing to see a production with such resources for improvement, and with a general lubrication it should develop considerably. . —H. D. McN.