‘Sweet Charity’ – Hayes Theatre Company

SWEET CHARITY – BY NEIL SIMON, CY COLEMAN & DOROTHY FIELDS
DIRECTED BY DEAN BRYANT
HAYES THEATRE COMPANY – HAYES THEATRE
7 FEBRUARY – 9 MARCH 2014

Lea: Amazing. Musical Theatre in an intimate space. Immediate and direct. I’m assuming the orchestration was completely changed. Some of the songs seemed very modern.
Sybil: Not all of it was changed.
Lea: It was gorgeous and glorious. It’s one of those funny things where I know the show because I think I had the soundtrack, but I’ve never seen the show. It’s a really amazing musical.
Sybil: And it was an amazing production of an amazing musical. I think the cast was incredible. Martin Crewes was absolutely incredible! In-cre-di-ble.
Lea: Playing those two characters…
Sybil: Playing three, four characters really.
Lea: Many of them did.
Sybil: I don’t really think anyone else played four major characters.
Lea: I thought he only had two of them. What were the others?
Sybil: So he played the Italian… *long pause*. Okay, maybe there were only two major characters.
Lea: Good. Good. *laughs*
Sybil: I’m inventing extra ones in my head *more laughs*. There was the first boyfriend who wasn’t really that big. Then there was the Italian mega star. And then there was her boyfriend at the end.
Lea: Oh I forgot the first boyfriend. So, a musical, purposed in a gorgeously intimate space. So unique and so beautiful. And that’s what we appreciated with Falsettos, but this was even a step more intimate.
Sybil: And you know what, Falsettos was kind of over directed… and the chorey. Here, the choreography was so witty. That’s what I really loved about it. It was clever choreography.
Lea: And kind of built for the space.
Sybil: Do you know what, my favourite moment of the entire show… actually there were several, but one of my favourite moments in the show was when she was left on the stage at the end, and the lights were kind of half up, and you could see the detritus of the entire show, the detritus around the stage, and her just sitting in the middle, devastated, and we see the whole show, her whole life, in tatters all around her.
Lea: Oh my goodness it was powerful. A conventional musical but then the power of an intimate, theatrical piece. So it felt like a… Belvoir musical.
Sybil: But better than some of the recent Belvoir pieces we’ve seen, to be fair.
Lea: Don’t forget Hamlet!
Sybil: Yeah Hamlet was great, but there was Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.
Lea: I know, but I’m also thinking about the space. That space has magic. There’s a catharticism in the way that they’ve re-dressed the space, made it theirs, and stripped it back and repainted it. Even though I’ve been here before it feels re-born. What a great introduction to Hayes.
Sybil: I tell you what, I wasn’t sure all the way through, that I loved the woman who played Charity.
Lea: Yeah…
Sybil: There were moments when I was going…
Lea: Yes, there was one song where I thought there was no truth.
Sybil: But then there were moments when there were tiny, tiny, micro expressions on her face that I was going – she’s not even thinking that there’s an audience here.
Lea: She had abandon.
Sybil: Yeah… absolute…
BOTH: JOYFUL ABANDON.
Sybil: She was awesome.
Lea: I wanted to be her. I wanted to have that joyful abandon.
Sybil: Yeah, me too! And that’s infectious. I was sitting there at one point, sitting forward on my seat, clasping my hands in front of me like this, with a shit-eating grin on my face…
Lea: Yes, yes, yes!
Sybil: I was like ‘Ahhhhhhh!’. Like a little girl in a candy shop. It was just so infectious and so beautiful and Martin had that too. Like in that one song where they were stuck on the… on the…
Lea: On the ferris wheel?
Sybil: On the ferris wheel – yes. And if I had any broad note for the whole cast, it would be, when you get a laugh, let the laugh finish before you keep going.
Lea: Yeah.
Sybil: I lost some of the lines because people were coming in too soon. And milk it. Why not? Why wouldn’t you?
Lea: For whatever reason – because they are a very experienced cast – maybe our audience gave them laughs unexpectedly.
Sybil: Which is entirely possible.
Lea: Such a sensational cast and I loved the multiple roles. That’s really essential for an intimate musical. I love it and it speaks to the core of what I like as a performer too.
Sybil: I just loved the set.
Lea: And that mirror thing. Wasn’t it great?
Sybil: It just worked so well.
Lea: Life – looking behind the lens. Publicly and then privately, depending on which way the mirrors were set. Whether you looked through it or saw their reflection in it, or it was to the side.
Sybil: Or where the light was…
Lea: Or whether the other characters were off to the side looking in on the action, or off to the side getting changed. Seeing the intimate side of what it is to be a part of that lifestyle.
Sybil: Yes.
Lea: I could see so many aspects of myself in the show. And that’s a freaking gift for a show to be able to make you go – I see myself in that, and that, and that, and that.
Sybil: Well ‘Somebody Loves Me At Last’ I’ve sung. And I was sitting there and just…
Lea: Yes I know.
Sybil: And then that last song…
Lea: Oh stop it. That end killed me.
Sybil: But through all of that – and I genuinely did love it – and there were moments I was just carried away by it – but ‘uh’ – I’m just a bit…
Lea: I’m going with 4. Because of all the stuff I’ve given three and a half to, and a little bit of my heart went with that show.
Sybil: See I’m almost 3.5, but here’s the thing, I think I gave Falsettos 3.5 and it’s better than Falsettos. It’s almost at the point where we need to be doing 3.75. We’ve been talking about this.
Lea: It’s okay, we can do it. I don’t know how I’m going to graphically represent that *laughs all round*.
Sybil: Maybe once I write my summary I will have got to the point where I’ll be able to decide.
Lea: It’s interesting. Who knows where we were personally when we saw this show, or this show? On a particular day one show will resonate more deeply than another one. It’s subjective. That’s the beautiful thing about theatre.
Sybil: Also I knew the ending so that gave me a different perspective. Because that ending is so unexpected, right?
Lea: Yeah, absolutely. If you don’t know it you just go tick, tick, tick, tick. Just put me on the floor, but you still walked off with some kind of optimism – booyah!
Sybil: And I wanted an encore.
Lea: What was that?
Sybil: *leaning into the microphone* An encore. EN-CORE.
Lea: *laughs*
Sybil: Give me ‘Rhythm of Life’ again. Okay?
Lea: And… good night.

IN SUMMARY

Sybil: One of those shows that just gets better the longer you think about it. I initially went with a 3.5 but I’ve changed my mind – a four for sure. What a great start for the Hayes Theatre – and so apt – as it was a signature role for Nancy Hayes herself. (I’m guessing they thought about that…!) I wish it had an an encore season – I’m sure it would sell out again.
Lea: Witty, clever, ballsy and tight. A fabulous cast, director and creative team, that pulled off a near perfect opening show for the Hayes Theatre Company. This Post Show Drinks was a quick record for us, as we were at the theatre with friends, so I just wanted to make mention of Debora Krizak and her fabulous performance in the duel roles of Nickie and Ursula – from strength to strength. I can’t wait for more from this exciting new theatre company fostering the small musical. Genius!
Question: Does knowing the ending spoil a show for you?

PRE & POST SHOW DRINKS: Lea dramatically slammed her finger in a car door on arrival at The Gazebo. The staff looked after her very well and we had yummy noms and wine (with an ice bucket and pain killers). The Hayes Theatre Foyer Bar hosted us post show. Small but nice. Nab a spot on the balcony if you can.
HANGOVER STATUS: Lea’s finger bore the brunt – oh and her head. Wine seemed like a good pain killer at the time 😉