The British musical in its formative years has appeared in strikingly different guises: from the lasting hits of Oliver!, and Me and My Girl, to the successes of The Dancing Years, Bless the Bride and Expresso Bongo.
This authoritative study traces what made these shows successes in the West End and how their qualities define a uniquely British interpretation of the genre. Cultural, sociological and political influences entwine with close reading of the dramatic and musical elements of this repertory to reveal a fascinating web of connections and contrasts between the times, the shows and the people who made them.
Through detailed case studies, such as of The Boy Friend and Bitter Sweet, the rich individuality of each West End work is spotlighted, posing vital questions and intriguing answers as to what a British musical can be. Interdisciplinary in nature, this study brings together all the core materials to discover this period in the story of the British musical. Reviewing the Situation is insightful and lively, an invaluable resource for students and scholars of musical theatre and all those theatregoers drawn to the power of these classic British shows.
By:
John Snelson
Imprint: Methuen Drama
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781350279582
ISBN 10: 1350279587
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 05 October 2023
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Acknowledgements Chapter 1 - Talents to Amuse: Creating the British Musical Chapter 2 - Bitter Sweet (1929): Noël Coward Chapter 3 - Me and My Girl (1937): Lupino Lane, Noel Gay, L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber Chapter 4 - The Dancing Years (1939): Ivor Novello Chapter 5 - Bless the Bride (1947): C.B. Cochran, A.P Herbert and Vivian Ellis Chapter 6 - The Boy Friend (1953): Sandy Wilson Chapter 7 - Expresso Bongo (1958): Wolf Mankowitz and the More-Heneker-Norman Trio Chapter 8 - Oliver! (1960): Lionel Bart Chapter 9 - ‘I Know What I Am’: the Bigger Picture List of Shows Notes References Index
John Snelson has worked extensively in music across performance, publishing and teaching. Following his PhD on the West End musical (2003) his scholarly publications have included the monograph Andrew Lloyd Webber (2004) and chapters in core reference works on British musical theatre. He was Senior Internal Editor (covering popular, pop and light music) for the Revised New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2001), to which he was also a contributor. He lectures on musical theatre, including for Goldsmiths, University of London. He has also published extensively on opera and for twenty years worked for the Royal Opera House.
Reviews for Reviewing the Situation: The British Musical from Noël Coward to Lionel Bart
An eloquently written and rigorously researched academic book … A hugely valuable resource for students and academics. * Musicals Magazine * A fascinating look at “the formative years of the British musical” by John Snelson, Reviewing The Situation focuses on the period 1929-1960 ... With a detailed introduction and a style that demonstrates how all these diverse works fit together to present a historical canon that contemporary writers can be aware of, and musical theatre fans can explore. As well as being an insightful book that gives these works their due, it has a lively and informal style with wide appeal. -- Louise Penn * Lou Reviews *
