alinewaites

MUSIC BY Mary Rodgers, Lyrics by Marshall Rarer, Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer.

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

This is a sort of pantomime developed from the Hans Anderson Story The Princess and the. This is definitely a play for laughter and music. Impossible to find a political message within, which is quite a delight. It is pure entertainment. Whether it is any good is the way it is presented and performed. I have seen it done without a laugh and yet I believe, although it did not have a long run, it was amusing at the Aldwych in 1960. I actually saw it then but the funniest scene in it at that time as not able to be presented on the small stage of the Gatehouse. It was a pile of thick mattresses – twenty I think, and she had to use a ladder to climb on top of them. To say more would give away secrets.
The songs are delightful, bt Mary Rodgers, daughter of the Richard Rodgers of history. The Prince is dying to get married, but his selfish mother doesn’t want to give him up to any other hussy.
The show is directed and produced by Mark Giesser, who seems to specialise in vintage musicals and who directed and produced “Strike Up the Band” at this theatre last year.

The plot involves a dysfunctional Royal Family in a mythical kingdom in 1428. The Prince dauntless is dying to get married, but his selfish mother doesn’t want to give him to any other hussy. She loves her son and her libidinous husband Sextimus is under a curse that causes him to be mute, and all he does is chase the maidens in the palace.
Sir Harry, one of the Queen’s Knights, is having a baby with Lady Larken, but the rule is that no one can marry until Dauntless has found his Princess.

Sadly it is Queen Aggravain who rules the Roost in the Palace and she devises impossible tests the young Princesses have to pass befor e they can be considered a suitable match for her beloved son.

When it first hit the Broadway Stage in 1958 it won a couple of Tonys, one for the play and one for Carol Burnett who played Winnifred. It has since been played often in New York – it is a wonderfuol vehicle for a funny lady.

In the Gatehouse production it is Beth Burrows who wears the comedy hat as Princess Winnifred – also known as Fred. and Theo Toksvig-Stewart is also funny who plays Prince Dauntless. Their relationship is passionate and amusing. But the juveniles who do most of the serious singing, including the very beautiful “In a Little While” is sung by Sir Harry who has an unusually good vocal talent and Rachchel Louise MIller as his lady Larken who has a high soprano – unusual these days.

Julia Falkner plays The Wicked Queen Aggravain, and Sextimus, the libidinous but dumb King is mimed excellently by Steven Watts. The Minstrel who tells the story is Matthew James Willi, the Jester (who has the sweetest number “Very Soft Shoes” is Rachel Lea-Gray and John Sears performs some amazing magic tricks as The Wizard. (Every Palace should have one. ) Courtney Hammond is one of the failed Princesses and the Nightingale of ~Samarkand!!.

There is some jolly choreography by Chris Whittaker and Jessica Douglas is Musical Director and Orchestrator.

It is important to see this with an open mind and go with the intention of having a good time. 

By Paul Kember
At the Finborough

By Paul Kember At the Finborough This award-winning play was initially produced in 1980 the year the Finborough Theatre opened. Four young English people in their twenties arrive in an Israeli Kibbutz in the hope of having a holiday, to enjoy the sunshine and escape their monotonous life in Seventies England. They imagine a land filled with milk and honey and c Dave played by Joe McArdle, is from Yorkshire and he expects a world of sunbathing, cheap booze, and most of all, sex. He is not prepared to enjoy the company of the “Jew boys = they all look alike” and has contempt for anyone who isn’t English. His friend Pete (Ronnie Yorke) who is a minor pilferer, feels the same. The only other girl is Carrie, (Miranda Braun) a small English girl who lives in a fantasy world. She has to learn how to leave her phoney past life behind.. The person most responsible for the welfare of the workers is Ami played by Russell Bentley who expertly delivers several long speeches describing the British character to the British boys who had never heard it before..The play shows up the English character to its worst advantage- how they can misunderstand so much about the country that has allowed them to become a part of it? Much of the play is obviously autobiographical, the author did indeed spend time with similar people in his time in a kibbutz, It is splendidly directed by Peter Kavanagh who has come up with an excellent cast of actors whose work cannot be faulted

onstant sunshine.But they arrive soaking wet in the middle of a rainstorm.
They are expecting good food and service from the Israelis food but nothing is what they expect and they grouse continually and loudly about their bad luck. The Kibbutz is not what they expected. It meant early rising and hard physical labour and indifferent cuisine. The first act of this play is a long stream of misfortune with tiresome young people who complain all the time and clash with the Israelis.
At the interval I seriously thought of leaving but decided to hang on.
It was certainly worthwhile as the play begins to reveal the souls of the various characters . The appalling young people have to learn a lot about themselves. Mike, a university drop out is played by Ryan Whittle. He has a relationship with a stunning but aggressive Israeli girl, Gila who is taking a break from her army duties to lead the workforce. She hates all Englishmen and resents the fact that her English languages is always being correy gives a delightful comedy and moving performance.

onstant sunshine.But they arrive soaking wet in the middle of a rainstorm. They are expecting good food and service from the Israelis food but nothing is what they expect and they grouse continually and loudly about their bad luck. The Kibbutz is not what they expected. It meant early rising and hard physical labour and indifferent cuisine. The first act of this play is a long stream of misfortune with tiresome young people who complain all the time and clash with the Israelis. At the interval I seriously thought of leaving but decided to hang on. It was certainly worthwhile as the play begins to reveal the souls of the various characters . The appalling young people have to learn a lot about themselves. Mike, a university drop out is played by Ryan Whittle. He has a relationship with a stunning but aggressive Israeli girl, Gila who is taking a break from her army duties to lead the workforce. She hates all Englishmen and resents the fact that her English languages is always being corrected. Ailsa Joy gives a delightful comedy and moving performance.. By Paul Kember At the Finborough This award-winning play was initially produced in 1980 the year the Finborough Theatre opened. Four young English people in their twenties arrive in an Israeli Kibbutz in the hope of having a holiday, to enjoy the sunshine and escape their monotonous life in Seventies England. They imagine a land filled with milk and honey and c

onstant sunshine.But they arrive soaking wet in the middle of a rainstorm.
They are expecting good food and service from the Israelis food but nothing is what they expect and they grouse continually and loudly about their bad luck. The Kibbutz is not what they expected. It meant early rising and hard physical labour and indifferent cuisine. The first act of this play is a long stream of misfortune with tiresome young people who complain all the time and clash with the Israelis.
At the interval I seriously thought of leaving but decided to hang on.
It was certainly worthwhile as the play begins to reveal the souls of the various characters . The appalling young people have to learn a lot about themselves. Mike, a university drop out is played by Ryan Whittle. He has a relationship with a stunning but aggressive Israeli girl, Gila who is taking a break from her army duties to lead the workforce. She hates all Englishmen and resents the fact that her English languages is always being correy gives a delightful comedy and moving performance.

Dave played by Joe McArdle, is from Yorkshire and he expects a world of sunbathing, cheap booze, and most of all, sex. He is not prepared to enjoy the company of the “Jew boys = they all look alike” and has contempt for anyone who isn’t English. His friend Pete (Ronnie Yorke) who is a minor pilferer, feels the same. The only other girl is Carrie, (Miranda Braun) a small English girl who lives in a fantasy world. She has to learn how to leave her phoney past life behind.. The person most responsible for the welfare of the workers is Ami played by Russell Bentley who expertly delivers several long speeches describing the British character to the British boys who had never heard it before..The play shows up the English character to its worst advantage- how they can misunderstand so much about the country that has allowed them to become a part of it? Much of the play is obviously autobiographical, the author did indeed spend time with similar people in his time in a kibbutz, It is splendidly directed by Peter Kavanagh who has come up with an excellent cast of actors whose work cannot be faulted

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