Manchester Opera House: Witches of Eastwick
THE old saying would have it that “the Devil has all the best tunes”.
But Old Nick ought to be looking to his lawyers – I’m sure there are a few roasting in the afterlife! – on the evidence of The Witches of Eastwick which, to these ears at least, boasts not one decent or memorable tune.
Call me old-fashioned but this is surely a big problem in a musical, especially one that, here at least, isn’t helped by lacklustre performances and an uninteresting set.
The Witches Of Eastwick began life as a novel, published in 1984, by one of the great American writers, John Updike.
In the bitterly satirical, overtly sexual book a group of desperate housewives in an uptight New England town manage to conjure up the devilish Daryll Van Horne, whose impact on their lives is dangerous and exhilarating.
Jack Nicholson
Three years later, it was turned into a film, starring Jack Nicholson, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon.
The special-effects-heavy film played up the romantic comedy angle and was a big commercial success.
A few years later, along comes Cameron Mackintosh and his writing protégés John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe who, given an extensive list of Warner Brothers movie titles to choose from, unexpectedly opted to add singing and dancing to The Witches Of Eastwick.
Their production opened in London in 2000, starring a pre-Deadwood Ian McShane as Daryll Van Horne.
Ogle
This touring incarnation features Marti Pellow as Daryll and there were pretty clearly women in the audience – indeed lots of them - who had come simply and solely to ogle the former Wet Wet Wet frontman.
Well, the best of luck to them because there was precious little else to enjoy in this deeply unmagical show.
Even the best of the songs can only aspire to mediocrity and though they’re mostly yelled out, it’s mercifully difficult to actually hear most of them against the larded-on musical backing.
Pellow’s interpretation of Van Horne pretty much consists of sticking his neck out and leering, which is not a pleasant sight, while the “witches” – Ria Jones as Alex Spofford, Rebecca Thornhill as Sukie Rougemont and Poppy Tierney as Jane Smart – come over more as a bunch of older lad-ettes than proof that sisterhood can be powerful.
The publicity hopefully dubs The Witches of Eastwick “a hell of a show” - hellish might be more accurate.
Hellish? Do you agree? Have your say.
The Witches Of Eastwick will play at the city's Opera House until Saturday, October 18. £9 - £29.50.
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I was mildy entertained by Marti Pellow although some of the ladies in the audience seemed genuinely …