The Beautiful Game

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:23pm

I was just listening to Elaine Paige on iplayer doing her BBC2 show and one song to feature was 'Gods Own Country' from The Beautiful Game which was written by Andrew lloyd Webber and Ben Elton and was a flop and played under a year at the Cambridge Theatre.

I have never seen this show and would of loved to see it, I think the score is quite bland in places, but the show does have several great songs in it? So must be about time for a revival? Maybe a small West End theatre, failing that somewhere like the Menier Chocolate Factory would be great, but understand they are going to do the 'Woman in White' instead, maybe the Donmar Warehouse would be an excellent venue, as they have never done a Lloyd Webber show, but they seem to be on a musical menopause at the moment and see off doing musicals. Good also be great for a fringe theatre to pick up?

Also with the Belfast troubles thankfully behind us, the story might be a tad old fashioned, for today's market?

[bob8rich]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:41pm

I loved The Beautiful Game - one of ALW's best scores IMO. OUR KIND OF LOVE (in particular) is a great song and packs a much greater emotional punch than the overly bland reworking of the tune when it became the title song in Love Never Dies.

There will not be a revival as the show has since been rewritten as THE BOYS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH and has been work-shopped and staged in that form. It would be interesting to see what they've done with it - but I have a feeling the rewrite may have watered down the dark edginess of the original, which was the thing I liked most about it.

[Stewart A]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 5:07pm

I saw The Beautiful Game in 2001 and really enjoyed it. The score was okay and it did have some very good songs like 'Our Kind Of Love' and 'All The Love I Have'. I think the script was a bit poor and Ben Elton shouldn't be allowed anywhere near musicals. 'Our Kind Of Love' was originally 'The Heart Is Slow To Learn' planned for the Phantom sequel when ALW was thinking of it in 1998 and was on his 50th birthday concert DVD. The song did eventually get into 'Love Never Dies' as the title track as already mentioned. It was probably ALW's least successful show I think with a shorter run than anything else of his.

[rockyhorrorfan]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 1:57pm

I now refer to that triple reworked song as The Heart Is Slow To Learn Our Kind Of Love Never Dies.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 2:30pm

Love the song 'God's own Country'.

As Bob says the show was re-worked for the Canadian market with People in the Picture, which also flooped.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 6:14pm

It was "The Boys in the Photograph".

"The People in the Picture" is a different musical.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/30/13 at 3:49pm

I actually really like The Boys in the Photograph. I think the book and score are superior to the original and I would love to see it staged and hopefully recorded at some point with the new and reworked songs.

[ajh]

Posted: 5/31/13 at 9:55am

Are the Menier seriously considering doing Woman In White?! Blimey. I saw the original Beautiful Game several times and thought it was stunningly good, although I could see it was probably way too dark for many theatregoers (although Blood Brothers is a pretty bleak show, it doesn't feature bombings and a kneecapping). Had TBG been a bigger hit, I wonder if it would have made a star out of Josie Walker: she was phenomenal in it, acting and singing.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/31/13 at 7:32pm

I attended the final performance of Beautiful Game and really enjoyed it. Much more than Whistle Down the Wind two years earlier. Being more of a traditional book musical, it worked far better and made more sense than simply listening to the CD and it is the only book to a musical Ben Elton has written that was any good as far as I'm concerned. Even some of the cringeworthy numbers on the recording actually worked when seen in context with the rest of the show. The design was fairly simple (for a Webber show, at least) and the staging and choreography were quite effective (especially in the football sequences). Our Kind of Love was literally a show-stopper at that performance. The ovation was so loud and so prolonged, Hannah Waddingham had to acknowledge the audience for a bow for the show to continue. I really have no interest in Boys in the Photograph because I do feel that the removal of Our Kind of Love cripples the score and I can't imagine it either missing or being replaced with anything superior to it. The version in Love Never Dies is just weakened by those limp refrains that undercut the dramatic momentum of the piece, which is a real shame.

Personally, I found the show a refreshing surprise in contrast to the parade of epic spectacles he was known for churning out.

Updated On: 6/3/13 at 07:32 PM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 9:50pm

Awwww I got to be involved in some original reads of this show. It went through a lot of changes. By the time it got to London it was polished but lacked heart, though I think it was a brave step for ALW (who's shows I mostly hate except a couple).

Whilst Canada did to the rewritten version (Boys in the Photograph) it eas actually first done in Liverpool by the students at Lipa.

[AddisonMizner]

Posted: 6/2/13 at 11:26am

I would love to see a production of THE BEAUTIFUL GAME/THE BOYS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH. From what I have read and heard about the show, it seems like a very atypical Lloyd Webber piece and got a Critics’ Circle Award for its initial production, which in itself is an achievement for Lloyd Webber, so sounds very interesting!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/24/14 at 12:59am

I was listening to the CD today and I'm ready for a revival! How much longer do we have to wait?

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 1/24/14 at 3:00am

I can't say I'm a fan of the new title. I agree with whoever said it could be called "God's own country".

[West_London]

Posted: 1/24/14 at 7:48am

'The Boys In The Photograph' is not as bleak as 'The Beautiful Game' was - it actually has a big tear-jerking happy ending!
Still a powerful piece but I hugely missed Our Kind Of Love....The new title song is catchy but nowhere near as good.

Hopefully at some point the song will be reinstated as I think it works much better as a pop ballad than as the opera-esque aria in 'Love Never Dies'.

[Hello doll!]

Posted: 1/24/14 at 3:34pm

I lived The Beautiful Game first time around. It really put Hannah Waddingham on the West End map. I think it never really got the credit it deserved. The story was real and believable. I also think that Ben Elton did a fantastic job with the lyric. The songs are truly great. Yip....it's time to bring it back, all is forgiven.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 3:01pm

Well you don't have to wait too long and yes the original Beautiful Game is being revived.

Well this is being revived on the fringe and will run 02nd April to 03rd May at the Southwark Union theatre.

However I fear the Union theatre, maybe the wrong venue for this show, but I see it and hope to be proved very wrong.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 3:18pm

Fantastic news. Will b interesting to see precisely what version of the show they will do.

Some of the very best things I've seen anywhere during the last few years have been at the Union. The Beautiful Game is essentially an intimate piece - I think the Union could well be the perfect venue for it.

Updated On: 2/20/14 at 03:18 PM

[AddisonMizner]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 3:32pm

Is there a link to news of this production?

This is exciting though if true. As I said above, it's a piece that I've always wanted to see and I've never been to the Union before. If I have time, I may have to see this during my London trip in April.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 3:48pm

Not seen any press release or article about it - but tickets are on sale here!

http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/uniontheatre

[AddisonMizner]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 5:49am

Here's the link to details of the production at the Union:

http://www.uniontheatre.biz/#/the-beatiful-game/4582766891


It's using the original title (THE BEAUTIFUL GAME) so I'm presuming it must be the original version that includes "Our Kind of Love"? Strange that Lloyd Webber would allow the original to be staged if that is the case, as I would have thought he would want people to see the reworked version of the show (THE BOYS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH).

Whatever version though, I am very excited and look forward to visiting the Union for the first time!

[AddisonMizner]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 5:58am

By the way...

It is unallocated seating at the Union isn't it? When you book via phone, is it just an automated service or do you get to talk to an actual person?

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 6:30am

Don't think they take phone booking, it must be done online, the polace is so small (60 seats), so wouldn't warrant a salaried phone operator, the staff typically get there about 6pm, I had to ring up a couple of times before, when trying to get a last minute ticket, as the online sales stop in the afternoon, it is a glorious place to see productions and in general the standard is very good, thyere is a nice little cafe infront of the theatre when you can get a nice bagel and coffee, which is just as well as don't be late, like I was for Billy as you won't be admited to the interval, I wall be there tonight to see Finans Rainbow.

You have to book online.

[AddisonMizner]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 11:09am

Thanks POL.

Sorry, maybe a stupid question but - is this definitely a professional production?

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:13pm

How do you define 'professional'?

[AddisonMizner]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:27pm

As in, it will utilise professional performers.