The First UK tour of Starlight Express ran from November 2004 - 2008, produced by David Ian for Clear Channel Productions from 2004 - September 2005, and David Ian Productions from February 2006 - March 2008.
Credits[]
- Produced by David Ian for Clear Channel Entertainment in association with Troika Entertainment
- Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
- Orchestrations by David Cullen, Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Additional Lyrics by David Yazbek
- Designed by John Napier
- Musical Supervision by Philip Edwards
- Lighting Designer Howard Eaton
- Sound Designer Mick Potter
- Casting by Debbie O'Brien
- Musical Director Graham Hurman, Assistant Peter Hagen (2004); David Rose (2006 - 2008)
- 3D Film Produced for Principal Large Format by Alexandra Ferguson
- 3D Film Directed by Julian Napier
- Skating Consultant Michal Fraley
- Associate Director/Choreographer Louanne Madorma-Williams (2004), Steven Rosso (2006 - 2008)
- Resident Director Stuart Sweeting (2004), Mykal Rand (2006 - 2008)
- Assistant Choreographer Leyla Pellegrini (2006 - 2008)
- Original London and Broadway Productions Directed by Trevor Nunn
- Direction and Choreography by Arlene Phillips
Production Specifics[]
2004 UK Tour stage
2006 UK Tour stage
Following the closure of the original London production in January 2002, there was considerable public appetite to see Starlight Express visit other parts of the country.
After the closure of the 2003 US Tour in June 2004, many of the properties of that production were used to tour the UK, including some new music written by David Yazbek and the 3D race footage. Much of the new material added for the US Tour was revised back to the material used in London, as many of the cast and production team had worked on the original production.
Design[]
The 2004 production presented a stripped-down version of the now-familiar Starlight set: the bowl, the split-level set, and a lollypop-shaped track into the stalls that the production team nicknamed 'the pod'[1]. Some of the technology from the previous US tour was brought across, such as the revolving stage, while a lot of the set was built new to suit UK theatres.
Although the set was designed to be portable, it proved too big for some regional theatres, so for the tour's second leg in 2006, the set was replaced by a open stage with arches across the back of the stage, and 2 portable ramps the cast would push on at key points in the show.
Costume Credits: Wardrobe and Wigs Supervisor: Martin Rodges. Costumes made by Amanda Barrow, Mike & Rosi Compton, Phil Reynolds. Fabric Dyeing: Nicola Killeen. Fabric printing: Penny Hadrill, Nick Voller. Hats: Karen Shannon. Wigs: Darren Ware. Wardrobe Mistress: Sue Buckley. Deputy: David Thorne. Assistant: Rebecca Pamment.
Musical Numbers[]
The UK Tour was a development of the 2003 US Tour, however many of David Yazbek's contributions to the score were removed in favour of the later London score. Where the US Tour had been extensively re-written in the underscoring and elements of scenes such as the individual introductions in "Freight", only "Whole Lotta Locomotion remained of the new material. However even this number was updated with a new introduction as the coaches introduced themselves, paraphrasing the original lyrics of "A Lotta Locomotion.
Unlike the previous tour and the London show, "Girls' Rolling Stock" was cut from this production. The first tour date, in Manchester in November 2004, saw Pearl and Rusty's big number being "Next Time You Fall In Love" as in London - however shortly after they sang the US Tour version of "Only He".
Control was recorded fresh for this new production, by a young Georgina Hagen. As Peter Hagen's daughter, Georgina had grown up very familiar with the later London Control recorded by Tara Wilkinson, and Georgina mimiced many of her mannerisms while also having a level of authenticity as a twelve year old.
Races[]
The only change to the 3D filmed races from the US tour to the UK was the new recording of Control. Control's script is much closer to the London version, including laying out the rules of the race: "We have two eliminator heats, the first two trains from each heat make the Final. Got that? Two heats, two qualifiers from each". Unfortunately this dialogue doesn't square up to the filmed races, where there are only three trains per heat as opposed to the live races in London with four trains in each race. No mention is made of a fourth finalist at the end of heat 2.
Song List[]
| Act 1 | Featured Characters |
|---|---|
| Entry of the National Engines | Ruhrgold, Turnov, Nintendo, Prince of Wales, Greaseball |
| Rolling Stock | Greaseball, National Engines, Gang |
| Taunting Rusty | Rusty, Greaseball, National Engines |
| Call Me Rusty | Rusty, Pearl, Dinah, Ashley, Buffy |
| Whole Lotta Locomotion | Pearl, Dinah, Ashley, Buffy |
| He'll Whistle At Me | Pearl, Dinah, Ashley, Buffy |
| Freight | Hip Hoppers, Flat Top, Dustin, Caboose, Coaches, Rusty |
| AC/DC | Electra, Wrench, Purse, Joule, Volta, Ensemble |
| Pumping Iron | Greaseball, Ensemble |
| Coda Freight | Greaseball, Electra |
| Crazy | Rusty, Pearl, Dinah, Ashley, Buffy |
| Pearl, You've Been Honoured | Purse, Pearl, Rusty |
| Make Up My Heart | Pearl |
| Race: Heat One | Greaseball & Dinah Ruhrgold & Caboose Electra & Pearl |
| Poppa's Blues | Poppa, Hoppers, Flat Top, Dustin |
| Rusty Why You Looking Sad | Rusty, Poppa, Hoppers, Flat Top, Dustin |
| Race: Heat Two | Nintendo & Buffy Turnov & Ashley Poppa & Dustin |
| Laughing Stock | Poppa, Rusty, Greaseball, Electra, Ensemble |
| Starlight Express | Rusty |
| Act 2 | Featured Characters |
|---|---|
| The Rap: What Time Is It? It's Race Time! | The Company |
| Pearl Twirl | Greaseball, Pearl, Dinah |
| U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D. | Dinah, Ashley, Buffy |
| Dinah, You're Honoured | Purse, Dinah, Ashley, Buffy |
| Wide Smile | Caboose, Electra, Greaseball |
| Cancelled Race | Greaseball & Pearl Electra & Dinah Rusty & Caboose |
| I Was Robbed | Pearl, Greaseball, Rusty, Gang |
| Right Place, Right Time | Hip Hoppers |
| Starlight Sequence | Rusty, Starlight Express |
| Rusty and Dustin | Rusty, Dustin |
| Dinahs Disco | Dinah, Electra, Caboose |
| World Championship Race | Greaseball & Pearl Electra & Caboose Rusty & Dustin |
| One Rock & Roll Too Many | Greaseball, Electra, Caboose |
| Only He | Pearl, Rusty |
| Rusty King of the Track | Dinah, Greaseball, Ensemble |
| Light at the End of the Tunnel | Company |
| Megamix | Company |
Tour Dates[]
The first UK tour opened in November 2004 at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. It ran until September 2005 and, following a short break, went back on the road with a new cast from February 2006 to March 2008.
Press materials referred to the 2006-2008 leg as a separate production. Artistically, however, it was a continuation of the first production, albeit using a revised, smaller set and some new cast.
| City | November 2004 - September 2005 | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester | Palace? Theatre | 01/11/2004 - 04/12/2004 |
| Sunderland | Empire Theatre | 08/12/2004 - 05/01/2005 |
| Bristol | Hippodrome | 26/01/2005 - 05/03/2005 |
| Oxford | New Theatre | 09/03/2005 - 26/03/2005 |
| Edinburgh | Theatre | 30/03/2005 - 07/05/2005 |
| Southampton | Mayflower Theatre | 11/05/2005 - 18/06/2005 |
| Liverpool | Theatre | 22/06/2005 - 30/07/2005 |
| Birmingham | Theatre | 03/08/2005 - 10/09/2005 |
| City | February - December 2006 | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Torquay | Theatre | 06/02/2006 - 25/02/2006 |
| Milton Keynes | Theatre | 28/02/2006 - 14/03/2006 |
| Stoke on Trent | Theatre | 21/03/2006 - 08/04/2006 |
| Cardiff | Theatre | 11/04/2006 - 29/04/2006 |
| Woking | Victoria Theatre | 02/05/2006 - 27/05/2006 |
| Norwich | Theatre | 30/05/2006 - 24/06/2006 |
| Glasgow | Theatre | 04/07/2006 - 22/07/2006 |
| Dublin | Theatre | 26/07/2006 - 19/08/2006 |
| Eastbourne | Theatre | 23/08/2006 - 09/09/2006 |
| Southend on Sea | Theatre | 12/09/2006 - 23/09/2006 |
| Grimsby | Theatre | 26/09/2006 - 07/10/2006 |
| Bournemouth | Theatre | 17/10/2006 - 04/11/2006 |
| Wimbledon | New Theatre | 14/11/2006 - 02/12/2006 |
| Leicester | Theatre | 02/12/2006 - 30/12/2006 |
| City | January 2007 - March 2008 | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester | Theatre | 10/01/2007 - 03/02/2007 |
| Liverpool | Theatre | 06/02/2007 - 24/02/2007 |
| Birmingham | Theatre | 27/02/2007 - 17/03/2007 |
| Southampton | Mayflower | 20/03/2007 - 07/04/2007 |
| Sunderland | Theatre | 10/04/2007 - 28/04/2007 |
| Edinburgh | Theatre | 01/05/2007 - 19/05/2007 |
| Canterbury | Theatre | 22/05/2007 - 09/06/2007 |
| Hull | Theatre | 12/06/2007 - 30/06/2007 |
| Bristol | Theatre | 17/07/2007 - 11/08/2007 |
| Bradford | Theatre | 14/08/2007 - 08/09/2007 |
| Nottingham | Theatre | 11/09/2007 - 29/09/2007 |
| Belfast | Theatre | 03/10/2007 - 20/10/2007 |
| Stockholm | Theatre | 01/11/2007 - 03/11/2007 |
| Gothenburg | Theatre | 08/11/2007 - 10/11/2007 |
| Oslo | Theatre | 15/11/2007 - 17/11/2007 |
| Oxford | New Theatre | 11/12/2007 - 05/01/2008 |
| Aberdeen | Theatre | 21/01/2008 - 09/02/2008 |
| Plymouth | Theatre | 11/02/2008 - 01/03/2008 |
2004–05 Cast[]
| Rusty | James Gillan | Pearl | Jane Horn |
| Greaseball | Tom Kanavan | Dinah | Tanya Robb |
| Electra | Mykal Rand | Ashley | Amy Field |
| Poppa | Anton Stephens | Buffy | Ashley Hale |
| Hopper 1 | Johnny Shentall | Flat-top | Paul Christopher |
| Hopper 2 | Tyman Boatwright | Dustin | Gavin Ashbarry |
| Hopper 3 | Craig McDermott | Caboose | Grant Murphy |
| Purse | Matthew Boulton | Ruhrgold | Jake Samuels |
| Wrench | Ruthie Stephens | Turnov | Chris Thatcher |
| Volta | Lauren Brooke | Nintendo | Philippe Reynolds |
| Joule | Danielle-Leigh Morris | Prince of Wales | Adam Floyd |
| Trax | Matt King | ||
| Swing | Lucinda Gill | Swing | Carla Pullen |
| Swing | Tony Andrade | Swing | Jamie Capewell |
| Swing | James Marshall | Swing | Andrew Millar |
2006 Cast[]
| Rusty | Oliver Thornton | Pearl | Miria Parvin |
| Greaseball | Tom Kanavan | Dinah | Lucy-Jane Adcock |
| Electra | Mykal Rand | Ashley | Amy Thornton / Rebecca Lisewski |
| Poppa | Michael Samuels | Buffy | Alexandra Gotteschall |
| Hopper 1 | Robert Nurse | Flat-top | Adam Ellis |
| Hopper 2 | Carlton Connell | Dustin | Gavin Ashbarry |
| Hopper 3 | Tony Andrade | Caboose | Stuart Armfield |
| Purse | Ben Draper | Ruhrgold | Ryan Dixon |
| Wrench | Bekki Carpenter | Turnov | James Marin |
| Volta | Rebecca Lisewski | Nintendo | Tim Driesen |
| Joule | Holly James | Prince of Wales | Gareth Davis |
| Trax | Matt King | Swing | Melanie Cripps |
| Swing | Lucinda Gill | Swing | Leyla Pellegrini |
| Swing | Jamie Capewell | Swing | Lee Lomas |
| Swing | James Marshall | Swing | Andrew Millar |
2007-08 Cast[]
| Rusty | Kristofer Harding | Pearl | Gemma Atkins |
| Greaseball | Tom Kanavan | Dinah | Lucy-Jane Adcock |
| Electra | Mykal Rand | Ashley | Amy Thornton |
| Poppa | Michael Samuels | Buffy | Kimmi Richards |
| Hopper 1 | Damian Winter-Higgins | Flat-top | Glenn Robb |
| Hopper 2 | Ben Harrold | Dustin | Gavin Ashbarry |
| Hopper 3 | Robert Nurse | Caboose | Cameron Neilson |
| Purse | Ben Draper | Ruhrgold | Kris Manuel |
| Wrench | Amy Webb | Turnov | Mark Willshire |
| Volta | Saskia Lockey | Nintendo | Matt Krzan |
| Joule | Emma Stephens | Prince of Wales | Mark Hedges |
| Trax | Matt King | ||
| Swing | Lucy Boldero | Swing | Ruthie Stephens |
| Swing | Tony Andrade | Swing | Jamie Capewell |
| Swing | Lee Lomas | Swing | Andrew Millar |
Media[]
Reviews[]
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ Fraley, Michal: Skating the Starlight Express (2011), ISBN: 978-1-4583-7432-5