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A CurtainUp 
London Review
London ReviewSmash!
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Is there anything less important than a musical? — Liz
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Tom Conti as Theo (Photo: Catherine Ashmore) |
An explanation is given in the theatre programme where Jack Rosenthal's widow, (Rosenthal died in 2004) Maureen Lipman is writing about how this play came to be put on in 2011. Quoting Lipman, "I gave Smash! to David Babani when I was at the Chocolate Factory in A Little Night Music and said, 'Look you must read this.' Nothing happened and the weeks went by and in the last week of the run I sent a curt note asking for the script back. David came down to the dressing room and I said, 'Have you got the script?' and he said 'I want to do it' — and I burst into tears."
The gravelly voiced Tom Conti plays Theo, the producer who sinks his cash into this project and Nathalie Walter plays Liz, the ingénue author of the piece. It is a mystery why Rosenthal changed the sex of the writer except that it shows up Bebe and Stacey as ungentlemanly, as well as a nightmare to work with. The American director Stacey (Cameron Blakely) is identified by the extra long scarves he wears and his caustic manner under stress. Josh Cohen is Mike the lyricist and the West Wing's Richard Schiff takes the part of the acid, arrogant composer, Bebe who is unpleasant all the time. We know the musical will be a disaster when there are so many changes being made to the script on its outside London opening that the stressed cast are having trouble learning their almost endlessly revised parts.
Maybe if it had been truly funny Smash! could have worked but the rif between Liz and Mike about the fantasy sexual assignations waiting for them doesn't even raise a laugh. Maybe if there had been some music or a disastrous excerpt from the ill fated musical it could have worked better. Paul Farnsworth's design has a giant picture frame set across the diagonal of the playing area, yes, the effect is that it looks skewed. The scene which works best is the optimism, after a few hours' sleep in the hotel room after the West End opening party, with which they start to read the morning's reviews in the newspapers. The production is a disaster! Some of those witty comments from the critics, although cruel are the nearest Smash! gets to being genuinely funny.
With the exception of Tom Conti with his heavy Austrian accent and his consummate professionalism, the other cast members seem uncomfortable in their roles. After seeing Smash! I too wanted to burst into tears but not in a good way.
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| Smash!
Written by Jack Rosenthal Additional material by Amy Rosenthal Directed by Tamara Harvey Starring: Tom Conti. Richard Schiff With: Nathalie Walter, Cameron Blakely, Josh Cohen, Carrie Quinlan, Sam Parks. Design: Paul Farnsworth Lighting: Tim Mitchell Music: Jason Carr Sound: Gareth Owen Running time: Two hours 15 minutes including an interval Box Office: 020 7907 7060 Booking to 8th May 2011 Production sponsored by American Airlines Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 1st April 2011 performance at the Menier Chocolate Factory, 53 Southwark Street, London SE1 1RU (Rail/Tube: London Bridge) |
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