Quality will out

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Alan Ayckbourn deserve every gold piece in their Gringotts vaults for the wonderfully witty and whistle-able songs in the stage musical "By Jeeves". They lend even a modest production, such as the one I saw earlier at the Genesian Theatre, a touch of West End glamour. That's not a backhanded criticism of the cast (or musicians or technical folk), who for the most part did a very good job. I'm simply saying that ALW and AA's tremendously engaging numbers made me forget I was in an audience of 50 in a converted church that could do with a bit more, er, converting. Of course, "By Jeeves" wouldn't exist without the genius of PG Wodehouse, who gave us the comic duo of trouble-prone young gent Bertie Wooster and his unflappable, day-saving butler Jeeves in the first place. So a posthumous hurrah for him. The last thing worth mentioning - and I have no idea whether it was an innovation unique to this staging - is that the actors ushered us to our seats in costume and in character. It was certainly in keeping with the layered plot...which I refuse to spoil. Amazon UK has the CD.


Cake, meet icing: In January-February 2009, the Genesian is hosting "Noises Off" by Michael "Addster's favourite playwright" Frayn.