Theatre and Dance Reviews

The Lord was in the building!

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber attended the first night of this touring production of his 1989 production "Aspects of Love". He had asked David Essex to play the part of George Dillingham, a move guaranteed to fill the theatre with women of a certain age.

Essex has like most of us filled out a little and his hair has greyed and thinned a little. His character in the second act was supposed to be approaching 80, but he hadn't even changed his clothes from his appearance as a 60-year-old in the first act. I thought his singing voice was a little thin for this part, but then I felt that when I saw him in "Evita" in 1978. Nonethless he does have a great on stage persona and he gained a well deserved ovation at the end.

It's always a problem when these touring productions have star billings. For me the main performers are Matt Rawle playing Alex Dillingham and Shona Lindsay who has the vocal performance of the show as Rose Vibert. These two have the big numbers which they carry off well. Rawle has a high voice which he uses to great affect making "Love Changes Everything" very much his own song. Shona Lindsay has recovered from touring in the dreadful "Jekyll and Hyde" a couple of years ago. She adds verve to the character of emotionally confused Rose. There are also strong female roles in Rachel Lynes as Jenny and Poppy Tierney as Guiletta.

The plot is a rather convoluted journey through some disfunctional relationships. Rose can never choose between the physical attractions of Alex and the intellectual charm of his Uncle George… There is a curious twist of a menage a trois and the prospect of Alex becoming involved with his 15-year-old Jenny.

In typical Lloyd Webber fashion, the main musical themes soar through the show, but I felt the sung dialogue between the main songs bordered on the banal. I can only hope some of the very obvious rhymes were intended by lyricists Don Black and Charles Hart to gain a groan from the audience. On the positive side the show was perfectly mixed for sound, every word crystal clear over a larger musical ensemble than is normal on touring musicals.

Unfortunately the set had its errant moments mainly concerned with doors that opened when they were supposed to be locked and vice versa. Only dimmed lighting concealed Mark Rawle narrowly avoiding a couch turning over. There's a Palladium style turntable which is used a little too often to have any dramatic effect.

Like any Lloyd Webber show there is a guarantee of quality entertainment. The fact he still checks his own creations says much about how he has probably saved the experience of theatre going in this country.

I have one major criticism of "Aspects of Love". This is a particularly steamy and passionate storyline but for me there was nothing here that played on the emotions in the way that great theatre should.