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Post by tonyloco on Sept 13, 2017 18:14:39 GMT
Thanks couldileaveyou and others for your responses to my query. If the men in drag in Buddy's Blues was originally instigated by Hal Prince and Michael Bennett in the Boston try-out then that is enough justification for them being included in this production, even though the idea was dropped before the Broadway opening. Actually, to be perfectly honest, from the back of the stalls I didn't realise they were men in drag (I guess because I was concentrating on watching Buddy) but I did register that they were very loud and their coarse performance unbalanced the number. LOL, tony! Perhaps you're just used to your ladies that way!  Strewth! I've just been outed by Tibidabo on Mornington Crescent as being an Aussie and now caiaphas has torn away another veil! How can I deny it? Well, it all comes from earlier in my life when most nights I could be found in close proximity to Rogers & Starr, Hinge & Bracket and Mrs Shufflewick. Any idea, caiaphas, when and where that might have been? Or does anybody else know? |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2017 18:27:34 GMT
It was either the Vauxhall Tavern or the Black Cap! Late 70s/early 80s? Am I right?
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Post by alece10 on Sept 13, 2017 18:30:41 GMT
It was either the Vauxhall Tavern or the Black Cap! Late 70s/early 80s? Am I right? Or the Two Brewers |
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 13, 2017 21:52:02 GMT
It was either the Vauxhall Tavern or the Black Cap! Late 70s/early 80s? Am I right? Or the Two Brewers Well, caiaphas and alece10, you are warm but not hot. Yes, I was participating in shows, but not in pubs and not all drag acts by any means. Other performers included Long John Baldry, Diane Langton, Elaine Paige, Brian Protheroe, Gaye Brown, Rita Webb as well as the ones previously mentioned. The time was 1973 and the shows were at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, directed by Joan Littlewood. They started as a series of variety nights called NUTS. It was Joan's idea to mix traditional variety material – songs, sketches, spesh acts, etc – with people from the local community like journalists, care workers, councillors, etc., who would interact with the audience on matters of local concern. Was this a crazy idea? You betcha! But Joan did have some crazy ideas. I was playing the piano as part of the bar entertainment and also accompanying some of the acts on stage. I shared the stage work with Long John Baldry's regular pianist, Ian Armit, who played for LJB, Diane Langton and Elaine Paige while I played for the point numbers for Rogers and Starr, Rita Webb, etc. Hinge and Bracket did not need a pianist but I did have the honour to play for Dame Hilda Bracket some years later in a music hall bill at the Lyric Hammersmith. So now you know. I'm too old to do any playing these days, and besides nobody does the kind of shows that I used to play for anyway. All together now: AAhhh! |
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 14, 2017 10:59:18 GMT
While I am reminiscing (and when do I ever stop?) I will add to the Stratford East story in a way that is relevant to Follies. Joan Littlewood's 'Nuts' eventually morphed into a regular Sunday Variety Night that was held once a month except in the summer months. It was hosted by Kate Williams and I was the pianist. One of the regular participating acts was a sort of folk group called Morris Minor and the Austin Seven which was run by Bill Dudley (he who was responsible for the projected scenery in the original production of The Woman in White) and the regular vocalist with the group was Imelda Staunton. I played for Imelda just once, at some Gala or other organised by Stratford East but held in the Piccadilly Theatre one Sunday night. She chose 'Am I blue', inspired by the Barbra Streisand recording, and that's what we did. End of anecdote!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 11:07:11 GMT
Fascinating stuff Tony! Are you aware of "Miss Littlewood", coming to the RSC next year - www.rsc.org.uk/miss-littlewood/"Developed in collaboration with Theatre Royal Stratford East" so I guess will be on there too? |
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 14, 2017 11:32:21 GMT
Thanks xanderl. That is the first I've heard about 'Miss Littlewood'. I wonder who will play me? Just joking. I will make some enquiries about the show and maybe start a new thread on due course if nobody else does so first.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 12:14:40 GMT
I'm enjoying your anecdotes, tony... Your mentions of the Thetre Royal Stratford East have me stabbing at my memory, trying to remember things I'd seen there years ago. I recall Kate Williams in a couple of things but can't remember what. I wonder if I'd ever seen you at the old joanna? I saw something called Breakneck there, a play about Ruth Ellis and I saw Robyn Archer Sings Brecht. However, my all time favourite was Mike Leigh's It's A Great Big Shame!, which featured many of his usuals (Ruth Sheen, Paul Trussell, Marianne Jean-Baptiste... but with the stand-out being Kathy Burke who made one of her last appearances on stage in this, I think.) It was brilliant, taking the conventions of Music Hall to punctuate the scenes, although I don't think it's ever been revived. Do you, or anyone else, remember this, or am I the only person who saw it?! Sorry... we'd better let someone steer us back to Follies.  Anyone? |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 12:21:23 GMT
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Post by Mr Snow on Sept 14, 2017 13:08:10 GMT
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 14, 2017 13:56:52 GMT
OK. xanderl first. I have only the haziest recollection of "What a Crazy World". I think I may have seen it but I wasn't involved in it in any way.
Now caiaphas. No, I don't remember Mike Leigh's "It's a Great Big Shame" but it sounds great. You say Robyn Archer sang Brecht at Stratford East, but you are mixing things up. "Robyn Archer Sings Brecht" was the name of two LPs that I actually set up with my other hat on when I worked for EMI. It is a funny story because I got a message from EMI Australia asking me to set up a recording at Abbey Road of Robyn Archer singing Brecht to be charged back to EMI Australia. Robyn duly arrived in my office, all very formal, and I set the arrangements for the recording in motion. At that time I was playing for the Aba Daba Music Hall at the Pindar of Wakefield in Gray's Inn Road at King's Cross three nights a week and who should arrive one night but Robyn Archer who wanted to experience old time music hall for her performance as Marie Lloyd in her one-woman show "A Star is Torn" which she was about to perform at Stratford East. But then when she arrived at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East what did she find but yours truly playing piano in the bar during the run of "A Star is Torn" on nights when I wasn't at the Pindar! It was like I was stalking her all over London! She did actually ask me would I like to play second piano when "Star is Torn" transferred to Wyndhams but I turned it down, mainly because it was too much of a clash with my office job. So, caiaphas you may have heard me playing in the bar during the run of Robyn's "A Star is Torn" at Stratford East.
Now back to Follies, again!
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Post by bimse on Sept 14, 2017 14:08:48 GMT
It was either the Vauxhall Tavern or the Black Cap! Late 70s/early 80s? Am I right? Or the Two Brewers Well, caiaphas and alece10, you are warm but not hot. Yes, I was participating in shows, but not in pubs and not all drag acts by any means. Other performers included Long John Baldry, Diane Langton, Elaine Paige, Brian Protheroe, Gaye Brown, Rita Webb as well as the ones previously mentioned. The time was 1973 and the shows were at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, directed by Joan Littlewood. They started as a series of variety nights called NUTS. It was Joan's idea to mix traditional variety material – songs, sketches, spesh acts, etc – with people from the local community like journalists, care workers, councillors, etc., who would interact with the audience on matters of local concern. Was this a crazy idea? You betcha! But Joan did have some crazy ideas. I was playing the piano as part of the bar entertainment and also accompanying some of the acts on stage. I shared the stage work with Long John Baldry's regular pianist, Ian Armit, who played for LJB, Diane Langton and Elaine Paige while I played for the point numbers for Rogers and Starr, Rita Webb, etc. Hinge and Bracket did not need a pianist but I did have the honour to play for Dame Hilda Bracket some years later in a music hall bill at the Lyric Hammersmith. So now you know. I'm too old to do any playing these days, and besides nobody does the kind of shows that I used to play for anyway. All together now: AAhhh! |
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Post by bimse on Sept 14, 2017 14:11:45 GMT
I meant to use the above quote to refer to, sorry I'm not up to speed with using the site, it'll get better , promise.... I just wanted to ask tonyloco if Rogers and Starr were the drag act who did magic? I'm told they were wonderful . I love reading your reminiscences! Maybe an encore thread is in order ! |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 14:27:46 GMT
A reminiscences thread would be good. My first theatregoing was in the seventies but it's all a bit hazy now. 1973 would also be around the time of two shows that Lionel Bart was involved in at Stratford East, Costa Packet and The Londoners if memory serves. I've always wondered what happened to get him back doing those.
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 14, 2017 14:28:43 GMT
I meant to use the above quote to refer to, sorry I'm not up to speed with using the site, it'll get better , promise.... I just wanted to ask tonyloco if Rogers and Starr were the drag act who did magic? I'm told they were wonderful . I love reading your reminiscences! Maybe an encore thread is in order ! No, Rogers and Starr were a very glamorous drag act but they didn't do magic. The artists were Michael Rogers, who I think went to the USA, and Roy Starling. Most of their numbers were full of double entendres and innuendos and some of them didn't even bother with two meanings, like one of Michael's songs about his boyfriend who 'hadn't any f***ing finesse'. But of course they performed them in the best possible taste! |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 14:35:25 GMT
Okay, one for the old folks: as some of us are in danger of derailing the Follies thread (  ) the idea of this one is to come up with a production of a show- could be play, musical, concert-type thing- from yesteryear that you can remember for one reason or another, be it good or bad. Hopefully someone will say "Yes!" and come up with something (anything???) that they remember about it. If they can't they can still chuck out another show they can (vaguely) remember... Let's reminisce...  I'll start: Smelling a Rat at the Hampstead? Had Saskia Reeves in it, Brid Brennan and Timothy Spall. I loved it. |
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Post by anita on Sept 14, 2017 14:40:40 GMT
"Blitz" at the Adelphi. Loved the children singing "Mums & Dads" but absolutely petrified of the "bombs". _I was around 8 yrs old.
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 14, 2017 14:48:03 GMT
A reminiscences thread would be good. My first theatregoing was in the seventies but it's all a bit hazy now. 1973 would also be around the time of two shows that Lionel Bart was involved in at Stratford East, Costa Packet and The Londoners if memory serves. I've always wondered what happened to get him back doing those. It has all been documented elsewhere, but Lionel Bart lost his entire personal fortune on his ill-fated musical "Twang!" back in the 1960s and he even sold his rights in "Oliver" before eventually becoming bankrupt. When I was playing for "Nuts" in 1973 Lionel would come and sit in the bar and get smashed on Ouzo and in an attempt to help him get his head together Joan actually suggested he went on in "Nuts" to sing some of his songs, which I duly played for, but Lionel was no stage performer and the numbers were quickly dropped and Lionel went back to the bar and the Ouzo. But Joan always tried to help Lionel and her productions of "Costa Packet" and "Londoners" were attempts to do so. |
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 14, 2017 14:54:41 GMT
"Blitz" at the Adelphi. Loved the children singing "Mums & Dads" but absolutely petrified of the "bombs". _I was around 8 yrs old. "Blitz" was Lionel Bart's next show after "Oliver" and Noel Coward, who was actually a close friend and admirer of Lionel Bart, said of it: "It was just like the real thing only louder!" |
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Post by stefy69 on Sept 14, 2017 14:55:06 GMT
Burn This at the Lyric, John Malkovich was electric and oh so cool ( or should that be hot ?  ) ! |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2017 15:02:57 GMT
I never saw Blitz!, but I was in an amateur production once. I actually prefer it to Oliver! (which I've also been in) in many ways.  |
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Post by bimse on Sept 14, 2017 15:05:08 GMT
Twang! Tried out at the Palace Theatre in Manchester I believe. I have a poster for it , Barbara Windsor and Ronnie Corbett were in it. Did they both go with the show to London ? Where did it play there ?
Thanks for the info on Rogers and Starr tonyloco, I'm mixing them up with Burdon and Moran .
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Post by Tibidabo on Sept 14, 2017 15:08:09 GMT
Okay, one for the old folks Can us young people join in too?😁🙊🌝😼❗️ And I loved the Follies derailment - maybe the mods could merge so that all those lovely anecdotes don't get lost in there? tonyloco, you might hail from the end of the yellow brick road, but you are a true legend! |
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Post by bimse on Sept 14, 2017 15:11:08 GMT
My earliest theatre going memories are of pantomimes, from my childhood I vividly remember the incredibly funny Jack Tripp as Dame , an immaculate and very subtle dame , with the most fantastic repertoire of routines.
I later saw him at Sadlers Wells in Babes in The Wood with Roy Hudd, they convulsed a largely adult audience at the performance I saw ...... the Busy Bee routine was a classic of comic timing.
Jack Tripp was a real gentleman off stage .
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Post by tonyloco on Sept 14, 2017 15:15:56 GMT
Okay, one for the old folks Can us young people join in too?😁🙊🌝😼❗️ And I loved the Follies derailment - maybe the mods could merge so that all those lovely anecdotes don't get lost in there? tonyloco, you might hail from the end of the yellow brick road, but you are a true legend! Tibidabo – flattery will get you everywhere! |
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) the idea of this one is to come up with a production of a show- could be play, musical, concert-type thing- from yesteryear that you can remember for one reason or another, be it good or bad. Hopefully someone will say "Yes!" and come up with something (anything???) that they remember about it. 
) !