Jerome Hynes Theatre, Wexford Opera House
Buddy Roxborough and Jack Raymond are washed-up crooners,
The Lords of Love
, in Eoin Colfer’s assured musical theatre debut. The production begins with a photo montage from the height of the swingers’ fame: Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Sonny and Cher.
The Lords of Love
were Hollywood heroes. Once. Twenty years later they have come together for one night only to reclaim their place at the top of the pop charts.
Colfer makes it easy for himself by structuring The Lords of Loveas a live concert. The compositions are hits from the singers' heyday rather than the emotional exclamations typical of musical theatre, although the original lyrics and compositions are certainly just as revealing of character and tone. Composers Liam Bates and Cyril Murphy borrow from swing, funk and even disco, as well as from the light pop scores of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Rodgers and Hammerstein. The result is as easy listening as Andy Williams at times, and as side-splittingly parodic as Spamalotat others. Although there is one song too many in the second half, there are also some memorable numbers, the James Bond-inspired Undercover Manand The Karate Chopin particular.
Tony Carty and George Lawlor, as Buddy and Jack respectively, seduce and insult the audience by turns. With his American mannerisms, Italian affectations and sublime, silky tenor, Carty turns the deluded Buddy into an unlikely charmer, while Lawlor's cynical fall guy is just as sympathetic, transforming the falsetto at the finale of Partners to the Endinto a moving crescendo in his one big solo moment. Aileen Mythen's Ivy Tudor, making an appearance live as well as in vintage television footage, belts out a couple of ballads of Shirley Bassey proportion with assurance and another nod to 007. Heather and Rebecca Hadrill provide backing support as the lovely Lordettes.
With its short run and low profile, The Lords of Love's premiere appeared to be something of a regional try-out, but with an 11-piece orchestra, a talented cast and slick production design by John O'Donoghue, Noel McDonough's four-night-only production certainly befits a larger theatre and longer run. Colfer is undoubtedly on to a winner and, as his two devilish divos would say, with any luck he will be "flogging that horse for a while".
Run finished
