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1950’s Hollywood collides with Ancient Greece. Jupiter, the old rogue, has fallen in love with Helen Vance, the movie star. Sure, she’s on her honeymoon with screenwriter Art O’Malley, but what could stand in the way of a god who can turn himself into anyone and anything at will? Well, his wife Juno for a start. She’s had just about enough of Jupiter’s roving, and all the ingenuity of their divine offspring may not be able to protect Daddy from her wrath. Where on earth can a god hide from another god?
With a plot that flits from Beverley Hills to Mount Olympus, this magical musical blossoms into a celebration of the immortal thing called Love!
The score sparkles with such quintessential Porter numbers as, From This Moment On, Nobody’s Chasing Me, Where Oh Where, Cherry Pies Ought To Be You, I Am Loved, Use Your Imagination, No Lover, They Couldn’t Compare To You, I Sleep Easier Now and Climb Up The Mountain.
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I created the role of Art O’Malley, the cuckolded husband of Helen, in this British Premiere.
I had heard that working at the Chichester Festival Theatre was a wonderful, rewarding experience, so in early 2004 when I was asked to audition for the forthcoming Repertory Season I jumped at the chance! After two auditions I was cross-cast in both ‘Out Of This World’ and ‘Just So’.
Chichester Festival Theatre is one of the UK's flagship theatres with an international reputation for creating magical live performances.
With much anticipation, 'the impossible theatre', opened in 1962 heralding Laurence Olivier as its first Director. Shortly after the theatre’s inauguration, Olivier was named Director of the new National Theatre at the Old Vic, and until 1965 Chichester effectively provided the nucleus of his National Theatre Company.
The 1206 seat Festival Theatre was the first modern theatre in this country to have an open 'thrust' stage with the audience seated around it on three sides. It was based on Greek and Elizabethan theatres, allowing the audience a much closer involvement with the actors than with a traditional proscenium arch stage. The smaller and more intimate Minerva ‘studio’ Theatre was built in 1989.
The emphasis of the theatre's programme is on the Summer Festival, which runs from April to September and includes plays from classics to contemporary writing. The theme of the 2004 season (under the Directorship of Martin Duncan, Ruth Mackenzie & Steven Pimlott) was; OUT OF THIS WORLD, taking its title from the opening production.
All summer long, magicians, fairies, gods, devils and other out-of-this-worldly types appeared in productions of ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’, ‘Just So’, ‘Seven Doors’, ‘Master & Margarita’, to name but a few.
‘Out Of This World’ has always been regarded as the famous 1950’s Cole Porter musical flop! It has a truly wonderful score, but the main problem had always been the book. Though the notion of Greek gods interacting with contemporary mortals is alive with theatrical and comic possibilities, Dwight Taylor, the original author, nevertheless struck a slightly portentous, possibly pretentious, tone and help was called in. Reginald Lawrence, Betty Comden, Adolph Green and George Abbott did their best to help, but the show was never received the way everyone expected!
My character, Art, and his wife Helen share the most famous of Porter’s duets: ‘From This Moment On’, which in fact was cut from the original Boston production before the show ever reached Broadway! Thankfully in 2000 Greg MacKellan reinserted the song (made famous by Frank Sinatra and others) and re-re-wrote the book from many scripts (including an un-produced version by the late great Howard Ashman).
This was the version presented at Chichester … with some additional material by our very own Jeremy Sams.
Fulfilling all my hopes and dreams, Chichester really was the most wonderful experience:
- Five months living and working by the sea as part of a 75 piece ensemble of Actors and Musicians
- Being able to create two very different characters in two very different shows!
- Having two 1950’s style suits made especially for my Art O’Malley!
- Meeting and being complemented by Greg MacKellan on my performance and ‘take’ on Art O’Malley
- Working with Director Martin Duncan, Musical Director Richard Balcombe and acting opposite the wonderful, very talented and supportive Annie Reid!
- Not to mention standing on the same stage as Olivier had once stood!
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“What a discovery or rather a thrilling recovery and reinvention”
The Evening Standard ...........................................
“Divine, simply divine … directed with such flair”
Portsmouth News ...........................................
“Witty, urbane, sophisticated, clever, erudite and very, very grown up … cast are fabulous … sparkling direction”
Theatreworld Online ...........................................
“Simon Greiff has a gift for playing and singing the romantic lead at the same time sending himself up in an irresistible manner … Chichester has a smash hit on its hands”
Local News ...........................................
“Sassy production … wildly camp musical”
The Mail On Sunday -
**** Four Stars
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“Pure froth … impressive company … ‘From This Moment On’ is by far the best number”
The Times -
*** Three Stars
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“A treasure trove of little-known Porter numbers … rich and well stacked … well-pitched camp”
The Guardian -
**** Four Stars
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“Quite lovely, mostly unfamiliar songs, and a degree of lyrical wit and intelligence that elevates the dizzying plot to true delight … superbly carried off by a cast that can actually sing … splendid stuff”
Whatsonstage -
**** Four Stars
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“Wonderful songs … the cast can’t fail to share its pleasure in the discoveries … cast are enthusiastic, bordering on stylish”
The Financial Times -
*** Three Stars
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“Nicholas Colicos is totally apt and balances well alongside the Art O’Malley of Simon Greiff … hard-working cast … exceptional band”
The Stage ...........................................
“Uniformly excellent performances … everyone and everything shines, helped on by Simon Greiff, beautifully twittish as Helen’s husband … a show to savour”
Chichester Observer ...........................................
“Camp, clever and sophisticated … very much an ensemble evening”
The Daily Mail ...........................................
Best of Beyond – June 2004
The Independent ...........................................
“Luminous songs … good comic stuff too … acting neat”
What’s On ...........................................
“Fabulous performances from the lead cast … It’s devine”
The Daily Echo ...........................................
“Great songs … lots of jokes, plenty of innuendo … some superb players … Simon Greiff perfect as Art O’Malley, funny, looking like a more handsome Woody Allen”
Hampshire Chronicle ...........................................
“Deliciously silly, outrageously camp confection, packed with terrific tunes and great gags … delightfully geeky husband … I particularly liked Simon Greiff as the cuckolded screenwriter”
The Daily Telegraph ...........................................
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