London School of Musical Theatre – Lady in the Dark

Picture: Steve Gregson

Lady in the Dark was performed by London School of Musical Theatre students at the Bridewell Theatre, London.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

The late 1930s and even the early 40s were an era of great songwriting though the books of musical comedies very much put the accent on comedy. Then in 1941, with Europe at war, came Lady in the Dark from Kurt Weill, Ita Gershwin and Moss Hart.

Lady in the Dark’s heroine is Liza Elliott, an outwardly successful fashion editor, but inwardly troubled, undergoing psychoanalysis. She is in a relationship with a married man with whom she is living, as his wife will not divorce him. It must have seemed like an unlikely success, but it ran for almost 16 months on Broadway, then toured major cities, finally returning to the Great White Way for a brief run. The star power of Gertrude Lawrence, in the lead role, was undoubtedly a draw.

The best known song is ‘The Saga of Jenny’, though there is the beautiful lilting ‘This is New’, and the tongue twister ‘Tchaikovsky’ that Danny Kaye so famously performed, here sung with chutzpah by the charismatic Adam Pemberton (reminiscent of a young Charlie Stemp). One hears characteristicWeill in the chorales, traces of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, the swing of The Threepenny Opera.

Adrian Jeckells, the producer and principal of the LSMT, was indeed fortunate to be able to call on set designer Tallulah Caskey and Charlie Morgan Jones (lighting). White Light and the Royal Opera House were also credited for adding glamour to the evening with simple but effective drapes and cubes, bathed in changing colours for each dream sequence. Matt Ryan’s direction was accomplished and focused with the young performers managing to convince despite being far younger than the ages of their characters.

The director’s decision to have seven young actresses play Liza Elliott worked extremely well, despite all seven being very different in appearance, personality and voice. It’s churlish to single out any single performer, but I enjoyed Sophia Daisy Jones’ singing ‘This is New’ and Bethany Finch impressed in the septet performing ‘The Saga of Jenny’. Kelli Wu also stood out with her perky presence. The ensemble singing was outstanding, the choral numbers thrilling in the small space of the Bridewell Theatre.

The lead men acquitted themselves well, particularly Bill Kenny as Ben who takes a young Liza Elliott – who has been told she is plain and unattractive – to the prom, and Sean Lomas as Charley Johnson.

David Beckham’s sound design and the eight-piece band, led by Archie McMorran, swing and soar, beautifully balanced with the vocals. Choreography by Steven Harris is also effective, especially so in the ‘Circus Dream’ when the stage was flooded with hoops and cycles and Caskey’s costumes took flight.

Lady in the Dark may have been innovative, but it never quite reaches the heights of the musicals that came later in the decade. Perhaps the nightmarish dream sequence in Oklahoma! when Laurie cannot make up her mind was inspired by the show? Perhaps its structure of playlets interspersed by songs informed Company?

Ryan and Jeckells are to be congratulated on resurrecting this piece and the team commended for bringing it to life so vividly. The standard of these young singers, actors and dancers at the start of their careers is high. We are likely to see many of them playing professional leading roles in the future.

Leon Ferguson