WEST END CONCERT

Peter Polycarpou takes his bow at the end of the concert at Her Majesty's Theatre

WAS PERFORMED AT A CHARITY GALA IN AID OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR EPILEPSY AT LONDON'S HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE ON 21^ST MAY 2000.

THE MUSIC WAS PLAYED BY THE WILLIAMS FAIREY BAND CONDUCTED BY GEOFFREY BRAND. LEAD ROLES WERE PLAYED BY PETER POLYCARPOU, CARL WAYNE, JANE MILLIGAN & STUART PENDRED. THE PERFORMANCE WAS NARRATED BY RICHARD OWENS.

THE STAGING OF IN THE RED WAS DIRECTED BY STEWART NICHOLLS, WITH VOCAL DIRECTION BY ROWLAND LEE.

THE COMPANY ALSO INCLUDED STEPHEN CARLILE, NEIL CLENCH, MICHAEL COTTON, ZOË EMERSON, RICHARD HARDWICK, ROSIE JENKINS, RICHARD MOODY, MATTHEW OLIVER, MARTIN RAMSDIN, NICK SMITHERS, CAROLINE TOBIN AND ALEXANDRA TURCHYN.

CONCERT REVIEWS

Brass Band World July 2000

Review by Robert Mullholland

A few days after their Tate Modern engagement, Fairey's bandsmen were back in London again for a performance at yet another prestigious venue, Her Majesty's Theatre, the home of Lloyd Webber's mega-hit The Phantom of The Opera, in the heart of the West End's theatreland. This time they were breaking more new ground by providing the music on stage for a short showcase version of the musical In The Red, by Michael Brand and Ian Chippendale. The performance featured a number of West End stars at a charity evening which took over the theatre on the Phantom's night off.

The band performed brilliantly in this new role under the direction of conductor Geoffrey Brand, father of the co-author. Geoffrey employed all his considerable experience in shaping a fascinating one-off performance of the hour long version of the musical. As can be imagined with a cast of stars working on their night off for charity (The National Society for Epilepsy), there was the briefest of time for rehearsals. However the extracts were most powerfully realised and, hopefully, the presentation sufficiently impressed the clutch of promoters and producers who were present.

The musical, with songs reminiscent of Lionel Bart and Lloyd Webber, weaves a poignant love story against the background of industrial unrest in a small English town in the early years of the 20^th Century. It is loosely based on the novel The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell, and tells of the exploits of Easton (Peter Polycarpou) whose ambition is fired not by his marriage to Ruth but by the new cause of Socialist trade unionism.

The band performed on stage while the choreographed action took place around them. After a powerful opening ("…in the beginning was the word and the word was…Socialism!), one of the most moving moments early in the piece was provided by Jane Milligan (playing Easton's wife Ruth) in her beautiful rendition of Wedded Bliss ("…no one told me before I heard those wedding bells, I should have waited for someone else..") It is a lovely melody in the best tradition of musical theatre. Another powerful piece is Don't Come Monday sung by Carl Wayne (former lead singer of The Move and narrator of the West End hit Blood Brothers) in the role of Hunter, the anguished boss.

Throughout the performance, the band deftly demonstrated their sensitivity and versatility, not to mention their stamina after leaving Stockport at 7 am for an afternoon of rehearsals in London. Peter Polycarpou, an original member of the Les Miserables company who took over as the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, feels the emotive sound of the band fitted "wonderfully well" with the theme of the play…"it is a powerful sound and I believe it enhances the musical immensely." Michael Brand, delighted with the level of performance, said "Now we just need to add the final shape to the piece and hope that it wins the interest of a producer." It certainly deserves wider exposure and every success.

The British Bandsman 3/06/00

Review by Niki Bland

MEMORABLE DEBUT FOR MUSICAL!

Sounding like a showcase for alternative music, The N.E.W. Musical Show opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on Sunday and was, in fact, an auspicious moment for brass bands.

Featuring The Williams Fairey Band conducted by Geoffrey Brand, it provided a musical snapshot of the first ever musical scored for brass band, In The Red, written by Geoffrey's son, Michael, and Ian Chippendale.

The first half of a musical pot pourri staged as a fundraiser for The National Society for Epilepsy, it was a sound bite by its authors to tempt West End musical moguls to turn it into a full blown production in the best British tradition. And a tempting taster it was, encapsulating all the ingredients of a box office success.

Billing some stage and television heavyweights - it was introduced by international pop singer Kiki Dee, and starred Peter Polycarpou in the lead role of Easton, Carl Wayne and Jane Milligan as the downtrodden central female character Ruth.

The story line is freely based on The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, a book which Michael and Ian were encouraged to read by their respective grandparents. Set against the canvas of contemporary New Labour the plot is perhaps a trifle naïve. However, for the depiction of the age-old battle between capitalist managers and socialist workers striving for a fair deal, the traditional sound of brass bands, steeped as they are in the workplace ethos, provided the perfect accompaniment.

At least two of the musical numbers, Wedded Bliss and If She Were Mine, were memorable and, given the right treatment, could be hits in their own right.

In casting the stars of the showcase, Michael and Ian chose wisely; it takes strong vocal chords to surmount a brass band playing at full strength, even one as "orchestrally" refined as Fairey which, once again, demonstrated its versatility, playing variously with nuance, texture and dynamism, as demanded.

A showcase relies solely on the strength of the music and its performers - no stage settings, props and costume changes are employed. Presentation aside, this musical provided a memorable and uplifting experience.

Bucks Examiner 26/05/00

Review by Martyn Pritchard

WEST END CHARITY PREMIERE FOR TRESSELL CLASSIC

Sunday evening was a remarkable occasion at Her Majesty's Theatre in London's West End. A new musical, In The Red, was premiered. The first half of the programme was devoted to the extravaganza, based on Robert Tressell's novel The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, and written by Bucks County Councillor Michael Brand and his colleague Ian Chippendale.

This evening, though, was not just about this excellent new musical. It was a gala occasion intended to climax a week of activities for the National Society for Epilepsy.

In The Red is a ruthless analysis of the capitalist system, with all its inherent exploitative tendencies. Man is set against man, money is saved and profits are made. But the capitalist in the piece, Hunter, ultimately finds it all too much, and the musical ends with a note of optimism with the socialist hero thinking of a New Jerusalem.

Messrs Brand and Chippendale have penned some remarkable songs to help bring the story to life. And there were some wonderful performances from Peter Polycarpou as Easton, the dreamer; veteran rocker Carl Wayne as Hunter; and Jane Milligan - daughter of Spike - as Ruth, Easton's long-suffering wife.

Of the songs I particularly liked Politics! Politics!; Don't Come Monday; Song of Socialism and Oompah Band.

And speaking of bands, the Manchester based Williams Fairey Band appeared on stage, doing their bit to perfection.

The second half of the show was completely different and featured the High Wycombe based Jackie Palmer Stage School. Kiki Dee brought about the denouement with Stand By Me, accompanied by Carmelo Luggeri. She is an impeccable singer who has graduated from pop to folk.

This was a highly individual evening which delighted the audience. Michael Brand recently completed the musical Wallis with lyricist Jane Bramwell and Ian Chippendale is currently working on a gothic musical entitled Murder In Mind with composer Matthew Linley. Perhaps these two works will, in future, also be showcased on the West End stage