Girlfriends continues at the Union Theatre, London. Picture: James Wallace
Girlfriends continues at the Union Theatre, London until 23 November.
Ubiquitous English composer Howard Goodall is a buzz name in the musical theatre world right now (he will be writing the music for the forthcoming show Bend It Like Beckham) and Girlfriends is the third leg of the Union Theatre’s trilogy which is running consecutively at this tiny but very welcoming little space just a few hundred yards from the Old Vic.
They are not playing in sequence as The Dreaming (2001) and Love Story (2010) preceded this early piece – Goodall’s second musical after The Hired Man – commissioned by the Oldham Coliseum in 1986.
The following year it made a brief West End appearance to reopen the restored Playhouse Theatre on the night of the great October hurricane but is rarely revisited these days. Even so, it is always good to have a look at the work a current acknowledged master was doing in his twenties.
Girlfriends tells the story of ten WAAFs (members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force) who enlist at an RAF Bomber Command base in the Second World War and how they played many key roles in preserving our besieged island from a bloody tyrant who had torn up the rule book.
We see them making tea at first, then graduating to more important tasks such as packing parachutes, aircraftt maintenance, radar duties and working on codes and ciphers.
As one of them, Sally, says about swapping fireplace for enemy fire: “I’ve come a long way – I feel respected.” But another, Jas, is torn between the damage being done to women and children in Germany and her duty to her own people. She buckles under the news of her own brother’s death and wants out even though dashing pilot Guy tells her: “In war normal rules don’t apply.”
The main storyline is pretty banal – pretty Lou fancies Guy like mad but he only has eyes for old-fashioned, well-brought-up curate’s daughter Amy, Lou’s best friend. He wants action on the ground to match his missions in the air but Amy isn’t playing ball.
The relationship peters out, so he jumps into bed with lovelorn Lou, a far more willing partner, which sparks an understandable froideur between the two girls until, after his final mission, he dumps Lou and the two WAAFs reunite singing that, while chaps may come and go, girlfriends are forever.
While Goodall’s musicality is never in doubt (he wrote the music and lyrics, while the book is penned in collaboration with Richard Curtis and John Retallack) – the sounds emanating from the band of five under MD Freddie Tapner are lush and gorgeous – the lyrics are too often predictable, the rhymes too clumpy, the story too obvious.
The audience go home knowing little more about five of the ten women than they did before. Karen, Pam, Phyllis, Janet and Sgt Woods seem to be there almost exclusively for the many (and slightly repetitive) choral numbers and are given no opportunity to develop a personality.
No blame, however, attaches to the hardworking and mostly inexperienced cast, two of whom are making their professional debuts.
Vocally, there is much to admire, particularly the soaring duet between Catherine Mort (Jane) and Corrine Priest (Amy) in Goodall’s most memorable number ‘The Chances Are’. This deservedly gets the loudest applause of the evening.
Mort, who we could have done with hearing more of, and bonny Scots lass Catriana Sandison (Jas) have impressive pipes, while Priest in the lead role of Amy fully lives up to her billing as 2014 Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year.
This part gives only a glimpse of what this versatile actress-singer can do. It’s interesting that two members of the original Oldham cast, Maria Friedman and Jenna Russell, have since become musical theatre giants and I’d risk a chunky bet on Priest emulating them.
The two male parts, Guy and Gareth, are better drawn with Tom Sterling’s tuneful tenor a joy as the handsome pilot and Michael Rees amusing as the Welsh sidekick who tries TOO hard with the opposite sex and has trouble getting lucky until sunny Sally (a likeable Sarah Harlington) finally proves amenable.
Sterling duets brilliantly with Priest in ‘Story of Your Life’ and Rees in one of the few light-hearted numbers ‘No!’. And in relaying his state of frustration over the reluctant Amy, he raises a rare laugh with: “Why are girls so old-fashioned/Makes me mad when sex is rationed.” If only all the rhymes were as felicitous.
Perry Lambert is pleasing as Lou, one role that is properly fleshed out, and her bedroom scene with Guy in silhouette behind a parachute sheet is beautifully lit. Jessica Hern, Marcia Brown, Katie Shearman, Amelia Rose Morgan and Amy Cooke-Hodgson have less to do but play well in the ensemble numbers.
Costumes are authentic, the set (designer Nik Corrall) reeks of the sounds and sirens of war, Iona Holland choreographs the dance parties delightfully and Bronagh Lagan directs the cast of 12 with her usual polish.
But it isn’t a great musical. Fortunately for us, Goodall has gone on to better things.
Jeremy Chapman
Readers may also be interested in:
Love Story – Union Theatre – Review
The Dreaming – Union Theatre – Review
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