Starlight Express

In 1975 Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the first version of Starlight, a modern Cinderella originally conceived as a cartoon. In 1983 he rewrote it and the roller skating allegory of boy-meets-girl-loses-girl-reclaims-girl hit the stage on March 1984 in the extensively remodelled Victoria Palace theatre in London. And there it stayed, obstinately defying the critics of populist entertainment to become the second longest running musical in theatre history in April 1992. 10 years later it finally closed after having been revised in '94.
Whoever came up with the idea of touring a production like Starlight? A show that not so much inhabited the theatre as took it over and morphed it into a goods yard cum rail network with skating tracks all around the audience is not suited to the regional theatre circuit. However, as has been demonstrated many times, the touring production is, in my eyes, superior to the West End version. Much more effort has been made to be creative in sound, lighting and multi-media to compensate for the lack of eye-popping sets and scenery.
The current touring version is simply breathtaking, not only in the imaginative conversion of the original production but also in the mostly unknown cast. Superb skating goes hand in hand with great singing and acting. A good old fashioned (in the sense of family viewing) story spectactularly staged for everyone's appreciation is something that De Montfort Hall chooses year after year. For once, something council-run that not only works but works well.

© Paul Towers 18/1/2007