The Canterville Ghost proves to be a bit more substantial than that although the

The Canterville Ghost proves to be a bit more substantial than that; although the songs seem to spring out of nowhere in the musical comedy tradition.A story of how an American family invade a stately home dates from the time when Americans wore check suits and big cigars, made vast fortunes from the invention of gadgets, and were loud and brash and supremely insensitive to British traditions and culture. When Mavis tries to open negotiations with him she is quickly silenced But not for long, not for long runs until 23 May; tickets 01244 340392. The Canterville Ghost, Northcott Theatre, Exeter

OSCAR WILDE’S whimsical short story has survived a film, with Charles Laughton mugging for dear life, but even when filled out with the telling of Wilde’s children stories, The Happy Price, there is hardly enough substance for a musical This is not the Wilde of the scathing wit. Just light humour with a touch of sentiment.
It may have been the presence of musicians in the orchestra pit, or the baronial hall set, but I had the impression that we were in for a 1920’s style musical comedy. It is fascinating to see a work with no pretension at all to be a serious “issues” play dealing so effectively with ground- level economics. And the future economics of football are also in sight.Apparently a butter-wouldn’t-melt office mouse Ned’s fiancee Mavis sees exactly the injustice of the chattel system and what the earning power of her “young man” really is.Chloe Newsome may look like porcelain but she shows Mavis has certainly some shot on her.

Perhaps, back in 1948, Jimmy Hill was in the gods taking notes. Unfortunately the play recoils from modernity with the revanchism of Corinthian values in the person of the old amateur and new chairman Jack Bannerman (Antony Gabriel).The game’s the thing once more, and gone is the old deference. This action is perceptively and quite movingly associated with the hesitant middle-aged romance of Lawson’s secretary (Angela Scoular) and the major client’s rep, excellently played Philip Bond. But the future can be glimpsed working itself up.The parallel plot in which Lawson’s firm is sliding towards failure is a microcosm of an industry reluctant to modernise and trading on the uncritical patronage of its traditional clients. Moreover, it is staged by someone who was there: Frith Banbury directed the West End premiere of , as he did, among many others, Rattigan’s The Deep Blue Sea He can clearly still cover every blade of grass. In that era of the leather ball, the 2pm kick-off and the maximum wage, the footballer is Red Rutter, “the Dribbler”, of Todchester Rovers (Tony Forsyth), and the chairman Joseph Lawson (Kenneth Gilbert) who has let his printing business go to pot in his quest for trophies for Burnville United.Appropriately there is not a glimpse of green here for the real action is in office and boardroom, beautifully recreated in period by Norman Coates with its wooden filing cabinets, ponderous panelling and yards of full worsted. Can Vicky have next Wednesday and Thursday off so we can get married? Two days! But the employer happens also to be the chairman of a rival club, currently in a comic state of disarray, and he spies a chance to save his team.How does a transfer, a part-time job in the firm’s packing department, on top of your pounds 12 a week, and a little house so you won’t have to live with Vicky’s folks, sound to you? Yes please Mr Sugar, says the earnest Becksy, searching for his forelock, Mr Ferguson doesn’t like me dribbling at United.The Professional Footballers Association should have demanded to sponsor Chester Gateway’s ingenious idea to revive Basil Thomas’ 1948 football comedy since it serves to show exactly how they can now afford to do so.

Shooting Star

Chester Gateway Theatre
IMAGINE: a star footballer, say David Beckham, combs his centre-parting to ask a favour of his fiancee’s employer. Three years later people are still going because they want to see the show.”`Rent’ is at the Shaftesbury Theatre (0171-379 5399) pounds 10 tickets are available two hours before curtain-up.. According to Seller, investors made two cents on every dollar for the New York run. The smart guys who paid for Rent have more than quadrupled their investment. (Now you know why people keep producing expensive musicals).There was one other reason for the storm of publicity surrounding the workshop production. Hours after the dress rehearsal, Jonathan Larson suddenly died of an aortic aneurysm He never saw his success “You didn’t have to know him to mourn him. He was a bohemian artist with a bathtub in his kitchen who until six weeks before he died was working in a diner It was like he almost became a character in his own play.