Our House (musical)
| Our House | |
|---|---|
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| Music | Madness |
| Lyrics | Madness |
| Book | Tim Firth |
| Productions |
2002 West End 2006 Japanese tour 2008 UK Tour 2011 UK Tour 2012 UK Gala Performance 2013 New UK Tour |
| Awards | Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical |
Our House is a musical with music and lyrics by Madness and a book by playwright Tim Firth. The show features songs from the ska/pop band Madness, and was named after one of their popular hit singles, "Our House". Premiering at The Cambridge Theatre in 2002, Our House was the winner of the 2003 Olivier award for Best New Musical and has since gone on to tour both nationally and internationally to great acclaim. Through the music of Madness, writer Tim Firth explores the themes of love, family values, growing up, responsibility and dealing with losing the people that shape us.
Background
Our House has many obvious influences including Willy Russell's Blood Brothers and the 1998 romantic comedy film Sliding Doors. Some critics have even called the show the British answer to Rent, the Jonathan Larson rock opera which follows the lives of a group of 20-something year-olds living in New York. For many years prior to the creation of Our House, Madness had been considering ways that they could turn their songs into a musical. Following the phenomenal success of Mamma Mia!, featuring the music of ABBA, a new interest in so-called 'jukebox musicals' began to develop.
During initial publicity for the show in 2002, The band's lead-singer, Suggs admitted in an interview for the BBC that he was not particularly a fan of musical theatre, saying; "I can't say I'm a huge fan of musicals. I like music, and I like acting. I like Oliver!, I went to see that when I was a kid and West Side Story and maybe a few little bits and pieces over the years, but no, not a huge fan of musicals, no."[1] Tim Firth was approached by producers to write the script for the show, accepting the offer as he was a fan of Madness. Speaking to What's On Stage in 2002, Firth commented; "I'd always thought there was an irony that everyone remembered Madness as the nutty boys, but that was generated largely by the videos. The songs were actually just witty. And moving. And about something. And felt like they were part of a musical already. I still don't think I wrote the book of Our House. I found it.".[2]
Production history
Original West End Production
Our House was first staged at the Cambridge Theatre in the West End from 28 October 2002 to 16 August 2003.[3]
Michael Jibson made his professional debut as Joe Casey and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.[4] Direction was by Matthew Warchus with choreography by Peter Darling. For a time, the production team struggled to find a performer suitable to play Joe's love interest, Sarah. The problem was solved when Michael Jibson suggested Julia Gay, his class mate at Guildford School of Acting. Madness' lead-singer Suggs was cast for a short period in the role of Joe's Dad, a role which was also played by prolific stage actor Ian Reddington.
The production won the 2003 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical. However, it received mixed reviews and closed after less than 10 months.[5]
UK tour
A UK revival started at Birmingham Repertory Theatre and continued on a UK tour in 2008, with Chris Carswell playing the lead role of Joe Casey.[6][7] In 2008/2009 it played cities from Stoke in July 2008 to Crawley in March 2009.[8]
The touring production changed aspects of the show in reaction to criticism of show's début in the West End. House of Fun was replaced with "Los Palmas 7" as the opening of the show. "Sarah's Song" was also replaced with the new Madness hit "NW5".
UK Gala Performance
Our House returned to London's West End on 11 November 2012 for a one off Gala performance at Savoy Theatre. The performance was directed by the shows original director Matthew Warchus in aid of Help for Heroes. Suggs played the role of Joe's Dad in the production. www.ourhouseinconcert.com
International productions
A new production of the show toured Japan in July 2006, starting in Tokyo.
The show was performed in Ramat Gan, Israel, by the Beit Zvi Company in May 2010.
2013 UK Tour
The New Wolsey Theatre Company, based in Ipswich, toured the UK with a production of Our House, starring Alexis Gerred, Daniella Bowen & Steve Dorsett in Autumn 2013.
Plot
The story follows Camden lad Joe Casey who, on the night of his 16th birthday, makes a decision that will change his life. Trying to impress Sarah, the girl of his dreams, Joe Breaks into a building development overlooking his home on Casey Street. But things take a turn for the worse as the police turn up. Joe’s life splits into two; the Good Joe who stays and gives himself up and Bad Joe who flees and leaves Sarah to run from the police.
Our House follows the two paths that Joe’s life could take after that fateful night; one path means a criminal record and social exclusion, while the other will lose him the girl that he loves. Over a period of seven years and two alternative lives Joe deals with the consequences of that night. Whilst one Joe fights to keep Sarah, the other is marrying her in a glitzy Vegas wedding and, ultimately, while Good Joe fights to save his house on Casey Street, Bad Joe is determined to demolish it with tragic consequences. All this is watched over by Joe’s deceased father, who pulls the two stories together.
Original cast
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Original production team
- Director - Matthew Warchus
- Decor - Rob Howell
- Effects - Paul Kieve
- Lighting - Mark Henderson
- Sound - Rick Clarke
- Choreography - Peter Darling
- Orchestrations - Steve Sidwell
- Musical Director - Philip Bateman
Musical numbers
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Recording and video
The recorded original production was telecast on BBC Three in December 2003 and was released on DVD on 1 November 2004.[9]
Awards and nominations
Original London production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Michael Jibson | Nominated | ||
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Peter Darling | Nominated | ||
References
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/entertainment/theatre/ourhouse.shtml
- ↑ http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/04-2002/20-questions-withtim-firth_27746.html
- ↑ History of the musical Our House
- ↑ Tim Firth's website - summary and reviews of Our House
- ↑ Laurence Olivier Awards - Chronological list of winning musicals officiallondontheatre.co.uk
- ↑ writer Tim Firth talks to What’s On Stage whatsonstage.com (cached), 6 June 2008
- ↑ Our House listing, 29 May 2008 – Sat 21 Jun 2008 birmingham-rep, retrieved 2 March 2010
- ↑ maddogs1.blogspot.com
- ↑ " Our House - The Musical: BBC3 cast list" bbc.co.uk
External links
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