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Review by David Munro |
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Cabaret time at Dulwich - Ian Mowat presents Sunday Evening Cabaret at
the Picture Gallery Dulwich with Stefan Bednarczyk - Liza Sadovy - Walter
van Dyk
DO DO DO Dulwich. There is a season of cabaret there at the Linbury Room at
the Dulwich Picture Gallery which, if last Sunday (September 8) is
anything to go by, is probably the best evening's entertainment to be had
in town.
On that occasion Stefan Bednarczyk 'did' Flanders and Swann for the
first half of the evening and then accompanied Liza Sadovy and Walter
van Dyk in a session of Kurt Weill.
If I say the whole evening was magical, it is because it was.
For someone whose theatre-going started with Anna Neagle as Peter Pan and
who felt that after that theatre had nothing to offer him - well this evening
was a revelation. Stefan (if I may call him that - my computer speller goes
into overdrive with his surname) made me realise for the first time what witty
and professional writers Flanders and Swann were.
Having sat through interminable evenings of them selling their wares at the
Fortune and, latterly, the Haymarket Theatre and slept comfortably, I never
appreciated what their theatrical acumen was. It took sitting through Stefan
and staying enjoyably awake to do that.
He makes their words sparkle as though they were written by Coward or Porter.
He sets his stall out as a professional should and sells the numbers immaculately
each one coming over new and crisp.
Listening to the records after hearing his interpretations makes one wonder
how he does it, but he does, and I for one am grateful for being able to appreciate
numbers as first rate when I had written them off as far from that - Thank
you Stefan and I hope that any one who reads this will beat a path to the
next performance you give. --- Watch this space.
The evening didn't end there. After a pleasant break in the gardens of the
gallery, the second half of the event took place.
I love Kurt Weill and I have suffered (as those who have seen my review of
The Threepenny Opera at Hammersmith
will have realised) the tortures of the dammed with ill-considered and second-rate
performances of his works, and this includes Vanessa Redgrave and Bill Owen.
Suddenly I heard his work performed as I imagine he must have wanted it performed.
From the moment Walter van Dyk started from the back of the stalls to sing
the opening of The Threepenny Opera,
I felt a frisson which lasted to the end of the evening.
Weill came alive. It is invidious to mention the particular numbers and frankly
I sat back and enjoyed them so much I didn't take a note of them.
I do, however, remember Liza Sadovy's Surabaya Johnny (Lotte Lenya
heraus), her My Ship which surpassed all other renditions, including
Gertrude Lawrence, Anne Sothern, Rise Stevens, Maria Friedman (especially)
et al and the duet with Walter van Dyk of the often forgotten number from
Street Scene, Moon-faced and starry-eyed, which shows Weill
in the happy mood so may people forget he was capable of showing.
I was sorry they only did one number from One Touch of Venus but, again,
Liza Sadovy's delightful production number of That's himshowed that
Weill was a great tunesmith.
Walter van Dyk proved himself as a sympathetic and intelligent interpreter
of what are often insurmountable songs in the Weill canon.
His version of Lonely House made one wonder why he wasn't offered the
role of Sam in the last production of Street Scene.
It is always sad to review a one-off event, as one cannot persuade you to
go and enjoy what one has enjoyed so much. I hope, however, you will note
the names of these three great performers and if they appear in your neighbourhood,
you will go and see them.
If you don't have a happy evening, write and complain to me. I might offer
to refund your price of admission, except that I feel that you won't want
to write and wouldn't want it back.
RELATED REVIEWS: Click here for
Paul Nelson's view of Crozier Hughes...
Alternatively, follow the links above to find out what's coming up at Dulwich...
