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Johnny The Priest - Part 2
REVIEWS OF THE LONDON PRODUCTION
The most striking feature in the new musical presented by
Don Gemmell and Reginald Woolley for Players Ventures Ltd., is
the settings designed by Mr Woolley. They convey a feeling of
realism and authenticity lacking in the show, are ingenious and
pleasant to look at, and one can study them when what is happening
in front of them becomes too unbearable.
R. C. Sheriff's play The Telescope was a serious, not uninteresting
little play dealing with the tribulations of a young priest in
Maybury, a dockland district in the East End of London, and with
his struggle to lead a young delinquent into a better way of
life. This musical version lays bare the shallowness and weakness
of the play, and shows again the dangers of transferring a work
from one medium to another.
Johnny the Priest is an uncomfortable mixture between realism
in the West Side Story vein and melodrama of the more mawkish
Victorian kind. The direction by Norman Marshall is excellent
in the scenes with the lolling idle teenagers. The air of tension
and violence is well created and the stage is filled with movement,
no mean feat when one realises that there is virtually no dancing
in this show. Collectively the youngsters engaged to portray
these tough dockland loafers are rather deficient in talent and
their idea of singing tends to be a strident shout, but Mr Marshall
manoeuvres them so skilfully that the ten or so choruses involving
them become visually among the best things in the evening.
The adaptation and lyrics are by Peter Powell and though some
of the lyrics are in themselves good, one does wish that he could
have refrained from making the Rev. Richard Highfield sermonise
so often in song. One couldn't help feeling sorry for Jeremy
Brett (Rev. Highfield) and Stephanie Voss, as his wife, Mary,
for being made to sing such maudlin stuff.
The music by Antony Hopkins, though not inspiring, is tuneful
and pleasant to listen to. 'The Foggy Foggy Blues' for instance
is quite haunting and 'Vicarage Tea' is amusingly conceived.
Jeremy Brett is to be congratulated on his performance as
the noble clean-limbed young Vicar who tries to fight boredom
in the young with old volumes of Punch, ping-pong and boxing
gloves. One shudders to think what the part would have been like
in less capable hands. As it is he managed to retain sympathy
and was even touching in his final dilemma and defeat.
Stephanie Voss has a strong, pleasant voice and she too did
all she could within the limits of her role, as did Bunny May
in the part of Johnny, the Vicar's protégé. His
weedy gangling appearance looked just right and he conveyed with
understanding the conflicts and tragic lack of confidence of
a youngster trying to extract himself from the rut of his circumstances.
- L.M., from Theatre World issue of May 1960
Songs Blunt Play's Edge
In the original version, the Vicar's dilemma was dramatic,
the action was strong and clear. Set to music, it retains its
sincerity but loses its edge. In a scene between the Vicar and
an understanding police sergeant, in which Johnny's future is
discussed and decided, it does not help matters that the clergyman
suddenly begins to present his case in song, particularly when
the policeman responds in ordinary prose dialogue.
The one real purpose that the music does serve is to give
Johnny's companions, the boys and girls of the dockland streets,
a chance to create some atmosphere. It is, however, the same
atmosphere that has been created so often lately, the atmosphere
of lawlessness in dingy surroundings. There is no novelty in
it.
For my own part, I do not believe that so serious a play as
this is good material for a musical.
Last night's piece was very well performed. Jeremy Brett,
in particular, deserves credit for his presentation of Highfield.
The danger in acting a man who will not tell a lie to save a
friend is manifest; one touch of priggishness and the sympathy
of the audience is lost. Mr Brett gives him the honourable simplicity
which convinces us that for him only one course of action is
possible. Also, and this is a surprise to me at least, he sings
acceptably.
Stephanie Voss as his wife sings much more than acceptably
and also gives colour to a character that needs it. Bunny May
is credible as Johnny, and among a multitude of small part characters
Hope Jackman and Phillada Sewell stand out.
- W.A. Darlington
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