Disambiguation: for Film version see Catch My Soul
| Jack Good's Catch My Soul Rock Othello (UK stage version) |
|
|---|---|
| with the rock band Gass | |
| Music | Ray Pohlman Emil Dean Zoghby |
| Lyrics | Jack Good |
| Book | William Shakespeare |
| Basis | Othello |
| Productions | The Prince of Wales Theatre, The Roundhouse, Manchester, Oxford, Birmingham |
Catch My Soul was the UK stage version of the rock musical produced by Jack Good. The show was a showcase for the talents of Lance LeGault, PP Arnold, P.J. Proby and an introduction to the rock musician Robert Tench and the band Gass.[1] It was loosely adapted from Shakespeare's Othello[2] and the character of Iago had originally been played by Jerry Lee Lewis[3] in the US production which had closed in 1968.[4].
The First UK stage performance was at the University Theatre Manchester by the 69 Theatre Company with Angharad Rees as Desdemona. The London stage version opened at The Roundhouse later in 1969 and moved to the Prince of Wales Theatre in the West End in 1970.[5] The show also toured larger UK cities and closed in January 1972.[6] The original UK cast recorded Catch My Soul (1971), with music as interpreted by Gass, the house band at that time.[7] A film Catch My Soul, was released in 1973 with a different cast.
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Jack Good's Catch My Soul was based on Shakespeare's play Othello and set in a commune. Good's musical contained many of the human elements of Shakespeare's original work. The characters names were kept as in the original play, but there were deviations from the plot which Shakespeare wrote. This alienated many performing Performing arts critics, but the plot was a success with the public.
Othello is a wandering evangelist who happens onto Iago's remote commune. There he marries the lovely Desdemona much to the chagrin of Iago, who also loves her. The conniving commune leader then manages to quietly pressure Othello until murder and tragedy ensue.[8]
Peter Knight produced the album Catch My Soul 'Jack Good's Catch My Soul-Rock Othello'. He was the son of another Peter Knight and produced the London version of the musical Hair (1968).
P. P. Arnold appeared as Bianca. She worked with the Small Faces and was signed to the Immediate record label. Arnold also had success as a solo Pop singer and backing vocalist, working with an eclectic mix of recording artists including, Andy Gibb, Boy George, Roger Waters and Ocean Colour Scene. In 1984, she returned to the stage in the cast of the musical Starlight Express as Belle the Sleeping Car. In mid 2007, she released her first recorded work for several years, Five In The Afternoon. The album is a duet with The Blow Monkeys frontman Dr. Robert.
P.J. Proby appeared as Cassio. He was a successful singer and songwriter. Proby later became better known for his theatrical portrayals of Elvis Presley in the musical Elvis Live, a show which Jack Good[9] first produced in 1977. In 1993, Proby appeared in the biographical musical by Jack Good "Good Rockin' Tonite", TV programme as himself. In 1994, he was in a musical which told the story of Roy Orbison, called "Only the Lonely".
Lance LeGault appeared as Iago, a role he played again in the 1974 Metromedia film version of Catch My Soul. He was an American television and movie actor starting his career in movies starring Elvis Presley. Later on he appeared in television shows and television movies, his best known television role was as Colonel Roderick Decker in The A-Team. Le Gault also appeared in other successful television programmes including, Magnum, P.I., Knight Rider, Airwolf and Dallas.
Gass were a British rock band. They left the show when Catch My Soul moved to the Prince of Wales Theatre in February 1971[10].
Robert Tench is better known as Bobby Tench and also performed with the band on the London club circuit[11] before joining the second Jeff Beck Group in May 1971. He later recorded with Linda Lewis and is best known for his work with Freddie King, Hummingbird, Humble Pie, Streetwalkers and Van Morrison.