Valley of Song at the Finborough Theatre, London
Valley of Song continues at the Finborough Theatre, London until 25 January.
Valley of Song, Ivor Novello’s last and unfinished musical, receives its professional world premiere at the Finborough Theatre more than 60 years after the composer’s death. Presented as part of the Finborough’s ‘Celebrating British Music Theatre’ and ‘The Great War 100’ series, this otherwise neglected minor work is Novello’s hymn to the Welsh valleys of his homeland, with lyrics completed by the composer’s long-term collaborator Christopher Hassall and the score adapted and augmented by the light music arranger Ronald Hanmer.
The story unfolds in the fictional valley idyll of Cromidris in the summer of 1913, where choirmaster David Evans (Linford Hydes) struggles to live up to the ambitions of his leading soprano Lily Morgan (Katy Treharne), with whom he shares a somewhat lacklustre relationship. When their wealthy patron Nan Brewster (Sandy Walsh) decides to retire to Venice and take her staff with her, Lily jumps at the chance and leaves the Valleys – and David – for a new life in Italy. There, she falls into the arms of the roguish Count Favero (Richard Mark), who romances the young ingenue and promises to establish her as a singing sensation.
But with the Count making promises that seem too good to be true, Nan smells a rat and, with the assistance of her loyal secretary Olwen (Jill Nalder), hatches a plan to expose him as a fraud. This, with the dramatic irony of the approaching Great War, means that the future isn’t going to be what anyone expects…
Okay, so it’s not the most challenging of storylines, nor the most sparkling of books, but it serves as a suitable framework on to which Novello hangs some nice, hummable songs. Very much a product of its era, Valley of Song is a light, sentimental and old-fashioned work that would have emerged at a time when British musical theatre of this kind was starting to become a thing of the past, facing challenges from the new wave of American musicals.
One can see why it might have lay neglected for so long. But this is why we must thank director Benji Sperring and his team of creatives, for bringing life to this otherwise forgotten musical. It’s not every day you get to experience the professional premiere of a show from someone of Novello’s reputation and calibre, even if it’s among the least interesting of his output.
The cast – a few of whom are alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama – do a first-rate job with the material, sounding in particularly strong voice during the ensemble numbers; a lot of work has clearly gone on the vocals, thanks presumably to MD Adam Morris.
Treharne is particularly impressive – and believable – as the starring soprano, and Hydes partners well with her as the leading man. Lee van Geleen as Nan’s blustery factotum Gwilim does a commendable job of bringing some comic relief, but the two standout performances of the evening come from experienced actresses Walsh and Nalder, as Nan and Olwen, both of whom act everyone else off the stage, and do a pretty good job in matching them in the vocals.
Stage design (Jacob Hughes) is effectively non-existent – sparse even by the Finborough’s standards – and the choreography (Sally Brooks) amounts to little more than marching the cast on and off the tiny stage. But the spareness of the production doesn’t detract from the overall experience. It’s important that shows such as this get the support of small theatres like the Finborough – as dated and as unsophisticated as these little gems might be, they are a part of the country’s musical heritage and shouldn’t be allowed to disappear into obscurity.
Craig Glenday
Readers may also be interested in: New musical Lost Boy has season at two theatres
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