Le monde des musicals

Always (1997-06-Victoria Palace Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Victoria Palace Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 mois 2 semaines
Nombre : 54 représentations
Première Preview : jeudi 22 mai 1997
Première : mardi 10 juin 1997
Dernière : samedi 26 juillet 1997
Mise en scène : Thommie Walsh • Frank Hauser •
Chorégraphie : Thommie Walsh •
Producteur :
Avec : Jan Hartley (Wallis Simpson), Clive Carter (Edward VIII), Shani Wallis (Aunt Bessie), David McAlister (Ernest Simpson), James Home (Stanley Baldwin), Ursula Smith (Queen Mary), Chris Humphreys (Lord Mountbatten), Buster Skeggs (Lady Colefax), Helen Anker (Lady Furness) , Sheila Ferguson (Analise L ’Avender)
Commentaires : Unfortunately the end result was not a great love story. It was a mish-mash of confused scenes, skimpy characterisation, lacking any sense of period and history, and prone every so often to throw in a musical sequence, including one spectacularly over-blown fairground nightmare sequence with chorus boys dressed as carousel horses. The critics had a field day describing “Always” as “Briefly”, and it was said that backstage the cast themselves referred to the show as “Wallis and Vomit”. It closed after seven weeks, with huge losses.
Presse : NICK CURTIS of THE EVENING STANDARD written an awful review of the show saying, "There have been dud musicals this year, but nothing to match this gloriously mis-guided attempt by novice writers William May and Jason Sprague" he goes on to say " The tunes are bland and repetitive, the lyrics staggeringly banal."

LYN GARDNER of THE GUARDIAN is not impressed either, saying the show lacks "anything approaching a good tune." and in reference to the 28 scenes in the show, goes on to say " The authors appear to have imagined that they were writing a movie not a musical." There is a luke warm response from

CHARLES SPENCER of THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, "It's not that bad. But it must emphatically be added that it's no that good either.' he then goes on to say the production is "slick but hollow" and concludes "I fear the show's run is doomed to be a deal briefer than Edward VIII's reign."

BILL HAGERTY of THE NEWS OF THE WORLD describes the show has having, "insipid songs, unimaginative choreography and dialogue."