As part of his linking voiceover during the concert revue, From The Heart, of his songs, lyricist Don Black credits three people for his long success. Matt Monro, the singer who sang early hits like Born Free; John Barry, who collaborated on several James Bond film themes starting with Thunderball; and Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer and collaborator on three major musicals.
Black is realistic about the modern place of the lyricist in musicals. No ‘Rodgers and Hammerstein’, ‘Lerner and Loewe’ or ‘Kander and Ebb’ effect flagged his contributions. So to create a revue of largely unfamiliar songs celebrating his words is something special for him. It is clearly a ‘Don Black’ show.
There’s a fourth influence here, too, in his late wife Shirley, whose character and loss inspire several reflective numbers, notably “Guessing Alone” and “I’d Go To Bed Earlier”, both beautifully performed by Clive Rowe.
The 17 main songs, plus a medley of the more well-known material, range in tone, with some genuinely comic material in “Life Goes On” (saucily sung by Caroline O’Connor) and “Fizzy or Still” (Rowe and Michael D Xavier as recovering alcoholics).
Setting the show in an off-Broadway cabaret club is a nice touch, with tables and chairs allowing an informal atmosphere for the singer (the quartet completed by the passionate Shona McGarty and playful Frances Mayli McCann).
In a West End house it could feel lost, but it sits well in the Garrick and although it doesn’t have the immersive feel of the Menier’s Midnight at the Never Get it still feels intimate, warm, and celebratory.
A special guest appears at each show, and on press night this was Michael Ball, revisiting his early career hit of “Love Changes Everything” from Aspects of Love. But it isn’t the celebrity of the performer in the limelight here – it is the man who writes the songs that come From The Heart.
Nick Winston’s direction and choreography allows each singer to stand alone while the others watch. It isn’t a ‘stand in front of a microphone’ show, and each performer brings an understanding of what the lyrics convey through inhabiting each role. Whether a jaded star, a would-be concert pianist, a grieving widower, a couple on a date, a divorcing couple, or a busy bucket-lister, all human life is here.
At just 80 minutes, From The Heart is a lovely little show filled with powerhouse vocals and technical excellence. Joseph Church, musical director and keyboards, and Oliver Copeland, bass, take care of the well-judged musical component, and Sophia Pardon’s set and costumes add a touch of understated glamour under Ben Cracknell’s lights.
Highly recommended. 5 stars.
Photo credit: Eamonn B Shanahan
From The Heart continues at the Garrick Theatre until the 18 Oct.