No 42 -- Summer 1994 Edited by Michael Walters
In this production, producer Stuart Barker was making a silk purse, not quite out of a sow's ear, but certainly out of hessian and tinsel. It was superb in conception, but somewhat let down at both ends by the musical side and some of the acting. The set was a simple raked platform on one side, with a door, and on the other a gallows which doubled as an inn-sign, etc. The prelude before the overture was brilliant, a number of patrons leaving Covent Garden Opera House clutching the old style red programmes, which, alas, are no more (a delightful touch) and paying no attention to the busker outside. Last out was the Chairman of Wimbledon LOS who gave the busker (who was actually the conductor) some money, and asked what he was playing. When the busker explained that it was an opera he had written, he was asked to give a performance of it. He then descended to the pit and began the overture. This was excellently played, but after it the first bad patch occurred.
The long opening scene with Mr. and Mrs. Peachum dragged horribly. Neither Denzil Edwards nor Kate Albert had the histrionic carisma to lift this plot-setting scene with its interminable dialogue and little music. However, the scene at the Inn went very well indeed, and so did most of Act 2 (The first 2 acts of the original were telescoped into one, Act 3 becoming Act 2). The finale, however, went on far too long. A considerable number of cuts had been made to the text and many musical numbers were omitted - this was compensated for by greatly extending some of the other numbers, particularly those involving chorus, with numerous repeats. A spurious and totally unnecessary medley was tacked on at the end. The arrangement of the music, by Jeremy Birchall, was presumably intended to give the chorus (who have otherwise precious little to do) a bit of a sing. One can sympathise, but it held up the action horrifically. Actually, I left during the last interminably extended section, as I had a train to catch. The story was over, this was mere musical procrastination. Other arrangements were by Paul Sadler, and I did not really care for them - but perhaps I am prejudiced, having been so used to the old Frederic Austin arrangements.
MD David Creswell's tempi were on the whole painfully slow, "A fox should steal your hens, sir" surely should bubble along - here it sounded like a funeral dirge. And my favourite number in the opera "O Polly you might have toyed and kissed" was absolutely thrown away. I didn't even recognise the into to "Were I laid on Greenland's coast". I was puzzled, as I realised that that was the number that ought to come at that particular point, and was wondering what they could have substituted for it, when the two soloists began to sing, and I realised that it was "it". The scene with Mrs. Trapes seemed utterly superfluous as played. Filch was a small boy (Darren Betts) and much of his role was cut. Much of the singing was raucous - I don't know if this was by design - notable exceptions were Martin Proctor (Macheath) and Jenny Morgan (Lucy).
I append a list of the numbers in the piece, italicising those which were performed in this production:
Through all the employments of life (Peachum), T'is woman that seduces (Filch), If any wench (Mrs. P.), If love the virgin's heart (Mrs. P.), A maid is like the golden ore (Mrs. P.), Virgins are like the fair flower (Polly), Our Polly is a sad slut (Mrs. P.), Can love be controlled by advice (Polly), Oh Polly, you might have toyed and kissed (Mrs.P & Polly), I like a ship (Polly), A fox may steal your hens (Peachum), O ponder well (Polly), The turtle thus (Polly), Pretty Polly, say (Macheath & Polly), My heart was so free (Macheath), Were I laid on Greenland's coast (Macheath & Polly), O, what pain it is to part (Polly), The miser thus a shilling sees (Macheath & Polly), Fill every glass (Mat), Let us take the road (Mat), If the heart of a man (Macheath), Youth's the season made for joys (Macheath & chorus), Before the barn door (Jenny), The gamsters and lawyers are jugglers (Jenny), At the tree I shall suffer (Macheath), Men may escape from rope & gun (Macheath), Thus, when a good housewife sees a rat (Lucy), How cruel are the traitors (Lucy), The first time at the looking glass (Macheath), When you censure the age (Lockit), Is then his fate decreed? (Lucy), You'll think, ere many days ensue (Lockit), If you at an office (Macheath), Thus when the swallow (Polly), How happy could I be with either (Macheath), I'm hubbled (Polly & Lucy), Cease your funning (Polly), Why, how now Madam Flirt (Lucy & Polly), No power on earth (Polly), I like the fox shall grieve (Lucy), If love's a sweet passion (Lucy), My love is all madness & folly (Lucy), Thus gamsters united in friendship are found (Lockit), The modes of court (Macheath), What gudgeons are we men (Lockit), In the days of my youth (Mrs. Trapes), I like a skiff on the ocean tossed (Lucy), When a wife's in her pout (Lucy), A curse attends that woman's love (Polly & Lucy), Among the men coquets we find (Polly), Come sweet lass (Lucy), Hither, dear husband (Polly & Lucy), Which way shall I turn (Macheath), When my hero in court appears (Polly), When he holds up his hand (Lucy), Ourselves, like the great (Lockit), The charge is prepared (Macheath), Oh cruel (Macheath), Of all the friends (Macheath), Since I must swing (Macheath), But now again (Macheath), But valour the stronger (Macheath), If thus a man must die (Macheath), So I take off this bumper (Macheath), But can I leave my pretty hussies (Macheath), Their eyes, their lips (Macheath), Since laws were made (Macheath), Would I might be hanged (Macheath, Polly & Lucy), Thus I stand like a Turk (Macheath, and chorus).
MICHAEL WALTERS
Web page created 31 July 1998