I was looking at what was on at the Chichester Festival Theatre when we were there on holiday. The theatre has a "world class profile". Even better it was only a short walk from our accommodation, although Alison did drop me off and pick me up due to the weather. It was at this theatre that the first National Theatre was formed in 1962 under artistic Director Sir Lawrence Olivier.
I could not believe it, we were in Chichester for the first week of Redlands, a brand new play about the arrest on the 12th February 1967 at this house and the subsequent trial of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. It's Keef who owns the property (and still does) on the Sussex coast at far away West Wittering. We visited the beach on our first day, not knowing any of that. So, before we left for our holiday I was very lucky to find a single seat in the fourth row for the Monday evening performance, the venue being very nearly sold out for all it's four week run. The theatre itself is a huge open bowl.
The stage is highly adaptable so that for this show it makes use of it's full width. Note the R and the S in the picture below for the band's name. Apart from the musical numbers, the rear of the stage is shut off.
Now I have to say that my seat in the fourth row, just raised enough to give a perfect view (I never noticed anyone in front) was one of the best. If I had a choice of seats, this might have been it. As for the audience, as you might expect for a play (with songs!) set in 1967 (I was twenty two) very nearly all were over sixty!
But enough of that, lets talk about the show. How to start with something that is definitely one of my best experiences in the theatre ever. Maybe it was always going to be? It is introduced by an actor playing the young Nigel Havers. Louis Landau is in his very first professional role, "you go on first and tell the audience who you are and where we are". At the time he is a teenager, his father is Sir Michael Havers QC (later Lord Havers) and his grandfather is Sir Cecil Havers QC. Even his brother is studying law and is to become Philip Havers KC. So what about young Nigel? But that is all to come.
So only a short introduction and we are off to Redlands where we find Keith and Mick with Marianne Faithfull and also George Harrison and Patti Boyd. Their quiet time is interrupted unexpectedly by Sniderman, a drug dealer. The boys wonder how he knew they were there. (As far as the plot is concerned, it is all on the very public record). However, they are then the subject of a police raid and carted off to face prosecution for possession of drugs. So, how did the police know they were in residence and were in possession of drugs in what is an isolated house miles from anywhere?
What we do know is that Sniderman slipped the net with the rest of the drugs and George and Patti had already left. That leaves Marianne who wanted to get arrested and have her moment in court, but to no avail. This is all the stuff of legend and here it is for the first time on stage? It is only then we meet their eventual defence lawyer Michael Havers. He and his family are almost the major thread of all the subplots in the play. His difficult relationship with Nigel is a major theme, (is Nigel the first in the family to avoid the legal profession and (horror of horrors) take up acting? We meet Michael's wife and other son. Of course pompous Michael Havers is horrified at the prospect of defending these boys but does so in the end. Somehow Nigel meets Marianne and their flourishing friendship is a beautiful counterpoint to the lead up to the trial that actually took place in ..... Chichester! Eventually the truth of what happened is revealed. The News of the World were upset when Mick sued them for libel and took their revenge by setting them up for a drug bust. Courtesy of Sniderman and some friendly police.
But so far, I have said nothing about the cast. It is headed by Anthony Calf as Michael Havers, known mainly in our house for his role as Detective Assistant Chief Commissioner Strickland in sixty four episodes of New Tricks over ten years. (We have seen them all.) Mick and Keith are played by Jasper Talbot (another first timer) and Brenock O'Connor. They inhabit the stars to perfection without trying to impersonate. Except their gyrations are spot on. They are something else when the band bursts into life, the curtain opens and the boys leap back onto the rear stage for the first of a number of Jagger and Richard compositions. I was just overwhelmed by the clarity of the sound and singing.
But what can I sat about Emer McDaid as Marianne. She brings that almost upper class strength yet at the same time a heart tugging vulnerability. And she can sing. Her three songs include the wonderful "As Tears Go By" and finally leaves Nigel and the stage with the hugely emotional "This Little Bird". I thought her friendship with Nigel was all made up, but apparently not. The rest of the large cast (fifteen in all playing thirty eight characters) are equally good. Clive Francis, (now seventy eight) as the older Cecil Havers is a hoot. He revels in this role.
Justin Audibert is the Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre (his is an amazing CV) and has worked magic in how the cast move around the stage. There are two very small podiums that rise above the front row. One was in touching distance where various actors would sing and dance. Maybe I should go to more musicals. But for me, the way Charlotte Jones has turned this story into a coherent and, at times, funny drama has to be applauded.
And the last song? It had to be Jumpin' Jack Flash. It's a Gas, Gas, Gas. It certainly was.
The only disappointment? It sounds like they maybe making it into a feature film and so it may not be going into London or on tour. Because I would see it again (and again?). I never buy a programme these days as everything is online. But this time I made an exception and I'm glad I did. One last note. When the first (self titled) Rolling Stones album was released in April 1964, it was played on repeat in my digs in Hove when at was at college in Brighton. See post of 20th February 2010.
One other thing: towards the end when Michael Havers is reconciled with his son Nigel, he presents him with the tie of the MCC to show he is now a member. The waiting list for membership is notoriously long, years and years. The writer wanted to show this awful business of who you know. Well done Charlotte.
PS 8th October 2024
Most of the reviews I read online were not particularly positive. That was until I opened this week's Sunday Times. Here was a terrific review by their top theatre critic Dominic Maxwell in a large feature. "The excellent Anthony Calf ..... Clive Francis is a joy ...... Marianne (Emer McDaid, excellent) .... the cast is excellent and it all goes up a gear in the second half ..... the closing rendition of Jumpin' Jack Flash is thrilling". I thought so too.
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