August 25, 2009
I love the bittersweet wartime autobiography on which this stage adaptation is based. In it, Spike Milligan, an original Goon through and through, takes his readers on a journey through his part in WWII. We encounter jazz as a war weapon, horror, bawdiness, boredom and madness, all through the medium of Spike's relentless and characteristically surreal humour. As a child reading this book I learned a heck of a lot about the realities of war, the world and The Way Men Think.
It would be fair to say that this stage version by the Bristol Old Vic assumes some background knowledge of the book. Also, to be fair, it draws its material from the next three volumes of Milligan's war memoirs too (which number 7 altogether), so knowledge of just volume 1 might not be enough. At times then, one feels at a slight loss to know quite what is going on in terms of timeline or 'story', and the action feels patchy, occasionally even dragging, with the acting somewhat wooden. And then a bomb falls and everything changes: people die in an instant, best friends disappearing like guttering lightbulbs. And for a minute you see what it might have been like: everyday people, their lives on hold, utter boredom punctuated by horror and misery - and their consequent attempts to remain cheerful in the face of it.
Younger audiences may not appreciate the goonish (and by today's standards, somewhat gentle) humour which permeates the show, and its juxtaposition with the occasional bout of fully-matured swearing may also be unexpected. It probably does present what seems a fair reflection of Milligan's real experiences. The music is ace - this is almost a fully musical show in fact, and whilst the singing is not always of a professional standard, the whole thing is fun and lively and there are some great skits (and some great musicians too - this certainly is a versatile cast of 5). In the interval on the first night there was an additional treat: wind-up gramophones blaring out genuine 78s (operated by local jazz musicians from 'The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band', nattily dressed in 1940s suits). I want one!
Since Milligan himself is no longer with us, thus depriving audiences forever of the person best-qualified to present this story to them on a stage. This show is the next best thing.
It would be fair to say that this stage version by the Bristol Old Vic assumes some background knowledge of the book. Also, to be fair, it draws its material from the next three volumes of Milligan's war memoirs too (which number 7 altogether), so knowledge of just volume 1 might not be enough. At times then, one feels at a slight loss to know quite what is going on in terms of timeline or 'story', and the action feels patchy, occasionally even dragging, with the acting somewhat wooden. And then a bomb falls and everything changes: people die in an instant, best friends disappearing like guttering lightbulbs. And for a minute you see what it might have been like: everyday people, their lives on hold, utter boredom punctuated by horror and misery - and their consequent attempts to remain cheerful in the face of it.
Younger audiences may not appreciate the goonish (and by today's standards, somewhat gentle) humour which permeates the show, and its juxtaposition with the occasional bout of fully-matured swearing may also be unexpected. It probably does present what seems a fair reflection of Milligan's real experiences. The music is ace - this is almost a fully musical show in fact, and whilst the singing is not always of a professional standard, the whole thing is fun and lively and there are some great skits (and some great musicians too - this certainly is a versatile cast of 5). In the interval on the first night there was an additional treat: wind-up gramophones blaring out genuine 78s (operated by local jazz musicians from 'The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band', nattily dressed in 1940s suits). I want one!
Since Milligan himself is no longer with us, thus depriving audiences forever of the person best-qualified to present this story to them on a stage. This show is the next best thing.