''The Remains of the Day'' is a
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
written by Alex Loveless, based on the novel
of the same name by
Kazuo Ishiguro
Sir Kazuo Ishiguro ( ; born 8 November 1954) is a British novelist, screenwriter, musician, and short-story writer. Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and moved to Britain in 1960 with his parents when he was five.
He is one of the most cr ...
. The original production, directed by Chris Loveless, premiered at the
Union Theatre in London, playing from August 31, 2010 to September 25, 2010.
Background
In an interview, Ishiguro said, "It struck me as an intriguing idea. ... I am a big believer in musicals and I see no reason why my novel shouldn't make a good one.
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
's ''
A Little Night Music
''A Little Night Music'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film ''Smiles of a Summer Night'', it involves the romantic lives of several couples. ...
'' shows you can set an unlikely story to music. ... This is a small scale thing and I might feel more cautious about it if the film version hadn't been such serious, faithful adaptation."
Original London cast
*Reginald – Christopher Bartlett
*Sir David –
Adrian Beaumont
Adrian Beaumont (born 1937, Huddersfield) is a British composer, conductor and university teacher.
He studied at University College, Cardiff, completing a PhD in Composition in 1972. He lectured in music at the University of Bristol from 1961 unt ...
*Stevens – Stephen Rashbrook
*Miss Kenton –
Lucy Bradshaw
*Lord Darlington – Alan Vicary
Reception
The musical received mixed reviews. Among the positive reviewers, Fiona Mountford wrote, "“Rashbrook gives a marvellously restrained performance that hints at the unexplored depths of Stevens’s soul, and he and Bradshaw, plus a top-notch ensemble, make easy work of the songs, many of which have a solemn and hymn-like feel. It’s not all gloom, though, with the frothy music hall number 'The End of the Pier' to lighten the mood. A canny West End producer could do far worse than to tweak this fine show for a transfer.”
[Union Theatre, ''Remains of the Day'']
REVIEWS
The ''What's On Stage'' review agreed, "The songs are almost always well-integrated, intelligently written, and subtly performed. Although Loveless’ adaptation does not quite pack what we feel is its potential punch, it does suggest a wealth of potential."
''BroadwayWorlds review by Carrie Dunn observed, "...some of this show works surprisingly well. This is pretty much entirely down to the touching, subtle performances of Stephen Rashbrook as butler Stevens and Lucy Bradshaw as housekeeper Miss Kenton. Both are compelling viewing, and work with the frequently limited (by necessity) material they have, endowing it with rich emotion."
Mixed to negative reviews included those in the ''
Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'', ''TimeOut'' and MusicOMH.
''The Remains of the Day''
MusicOMH.com, September 2010
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Remains of the Day
2010 musicals
British musicals
Musicals based on novels
Musicals set in England