Local Hero - musical

[dmg]

Funny regarding The Telegraph review because in some respects it was similar to my own posted on here (except for better use of the English language that is)!  We both praised the same performance and I said that I wasn't humming the songs as I walked out the theatre either.  I don't tend to hum any of Mark's tunes though - they just aren't hummable music!  I certainly enthused more about the musical as a whole a LOT more though and still loved the music despite it's "unhummableness!"

[goon525]

I reckon Going Home is pretty hummable, as I’m demonstrating as I write this...

[dmg]

I reckon Going Home is pretty hummable, as I’m demonstrating as I write this...

I always reckoned Walk of Life was probably the only tune he ever wrote that was really hummable for me.  The others just have too many complicated passages with pauses and inflections to make them easy to hum.

[Robson]

Maybe boring but I will always defend Walk of Life because this is one of my three beginnings of a fantastic adventure with DS 

[superval99]

YOUNG PERSPECTIVE

Summary

It was an utter privilege to be in attendance for the opening night of a production that will surely grow to stand the test of time as a beloved classic for all.
5.0

Whatever you do, you do not want to miss the very first run of ‘Local Hero’, which debuts this month at the Lyceum. Adapted from the 1983 film written and directed by Bill Forsyth, Mark Knopfler has gifted the story with a fresh musical accompaniment that will bewitch audiences with the wild beauty of the Scottish highlands even as David Greig’s writing will leave them with a yearning for a simple place to call home.

In this unassuming story, the sleepy village of Ferness and its motley crew of inhabitants, is rocked by a crude disturbance, and I’m not talking about Rodney zooming past on his motor bike. An American oil company have flown out their best salesman, tasked with the challenge of purchasing an entire village, in order to build a belching oil refinery on the coast. Tensions run high in the community as everyone must decide what is best for the town, but more importantly, themselves.

The dialogue is witty and fast-paced, delivered by a wickedly gifted cast that perfectly emanates the familiar feel of a close-knit community. Each character is essential and eccentric in equal measure, subtly but hilariously proving the proverb that it takes a village to raise a child. Sitting in those red velvet seats, the pride for a humble yet fervent depiction of Scottish culture swells from the audience and fills the entire theatre.

Matthew Pidgeon dominates as a portent of uproarious laughter. His character Gordon oscillates between venturesome negotiator and small-town sex icon – his dancing is a sight to behold indeed. Meanwhile, Katrina Bryan’s exquisite voice will make your heart desperately ache as the stubborn but worldly Stella, torn between the calls of wanderlust and a tugging desire to settle down.

Besides the engaging and wonderful choreography by Lucy Hind, especially in ‘That’d Do Me’, what makes this musical so successful is its universality. At its core is the question ‘what does home mean to me?’ and this is explored through a production that is at once simple and yet wholly immersive.

Is Gordon right in saying that “places change, Stella, it’s the people you need to hold onto”? Or is it the transient and unruly landscape that gives form to its people? In a musical of caricatures that you would think proves Gordon’s point, you will be surprised and delighted to note the artistic detail of the set that will leave you breathless at the splendid views that are conjured into your mind.

And so, despite the seemingly dull subject matter, much like the isolated town of Ferness, ‘Local Hero’ proves to be a provocative, and stirring, and idiosyncratic production about the sky the sea and the earth, and the people found in between. It playfully gambols between play and musical but always returns to comedy, uniting all theatregoers regardless of their individual preferences. It was an utter privilege to be in attendance for the opening night of a production that will surely grow to stand the test of time as a beloved classic for all.

[superval99]

The Financial Times gave Local Hero ***** stars!

[hunter]

Mostly really good reviews so far. Wow. Well done!

As I noted elsewhere, I watched the film not long ago, and it just doesn't do it for me. Feels very dated (not the topic), and some of the performances feel corny and outright bad at times.

This musical, though, I'd actually like to see. It seems they have managed to make the story fresher in the right places. Would be nice if they made a video production.

[goon525]

The Financial Times gave Local Hero ***** stars!

Don’t suppose we have a FT subscriber amongst us? I can get no further than “Cherished movie becomes marvellous musical” which is good as far as it goes!

[2manyguitars]

Here you go...

Local Hero — cherished movie becomes marvellous musical at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh 

With new music by Mark Knopfler, this stage adaptation of Bill Forsyth’s 1983 film is a delight

“You can put a number on anything,” sings Mac, an American oil executive despatched to buy a beautiful Scottish coastal village in Local Hero, the new stage musical of the well-loved 1983 film by Bill Forsyth.Not necessarily. In the same week that Local Hero premiered at Edinburgh’s Lyceum, Scottish government statisticians issued the first formal estimate of the worth of the country’s “natural capital” — but noted that their £273bn valuation did not take into account any “aesthetic appreciation”. “Currently, there is no method in use that incorporates [such] considerations,” the government statisticians admitted. How to weigh nature and natural beauty against prosperity and development is the question at the heart of this exuberant production, just as it was of the film. With new music by former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler, creator of the original haunting soundtrack, it charts Mac’s arrival in fictional Ferness with plans to replace the village and its perfect beach with a flame-belching oil refinery.Adapting such a beloved movie was a risky undertaking that has required some bold decisions. Forsyth, who co-wrote the musical with playwright David Greig, has complained of being frozen out of the project. But the adaption is a delight, combining the sympathetic humour of the original with fine songs and sharper laugh-lines.The film’s two main female characters have been combined into Stella, partner of Gordon, the village hotelkeeper/accountant. Gordon, played with real wit by Matthew Pidgeon, and most of the community eagerly embrace the chance to become, as one of the best songs puts it, “Filthy Dirty Rich”. But Stella sides with the environmental conservatism of beach shack-dweller Ben. Soon she opens Mac’s eyes to the beauty of Ferness’s land, sea and skyscapes, evoked with effective economy by Scott Pask’s sets.

Forsyth has previously suggested that the “soft-core environmentalism” of Local Hero is no longer adequate in a time of gathering environmental crisis, but despite the introduction of a little swearing, the musical retains most of the original’s gentle touch and whimsical resolution. It also steers clear of references to Donald Trump’s 2008 construction of a golf course on protected sand dunes in Aberdeenshire, a saga many saw as a real-life Local Hero tale.While some punches may have been pulled, and the lively pace flags slightly after the interval, this is a marvellous evening’s entertainment with a real appreciation both for the economic realities that make the villagers so keen to sell and the inestimable emotional cost of concreting a beautiful coast.The show is perfectly suited to Edinburgh’s relatively intimate Lyceum, where on press night the enthusiasm of the applause spoke both of pleasure and of relief that the musical had enhanced and not spoiled memories of the film.★★★★★

[goon525]

Many thanks, 2many.

[skydiver]

from theartsdesk.com

Local Hero, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh - captivating musical with a harder edge

New staging brings the iconic 1983 movie's themes and characters into sharper focus

by David Kettle|Wednesday, 27 March 2019
   

“Cult” is probably an over-used adjective, especially when it comes to movies. But there’s undoubtedly something truly special about Bill Forsyth’s 1983 film – about a Texan oil executive on a mission to buy up a section of the Scottish coast for a vast new refinery, only to end up falling in love with the place – that makes it so warmly cherished by certain viewers.

Maybe it’s Local Hero’s disarming mix of laid-back whimsy and harder drama, its unapologetic sentimentality, its surreal eccentricity, its gentle humour. Or maybe it’s the movie’s ironic role-reversal, as villagers grow impatient to plunder their new-found wealth while the swaggering incomer grows ever more enraptured with the place. It’s a mix that’s undoubtedly helped by Mark Knopfler’s evocative original score, whose guitar theme “Going Home” alone can transport you straight back to the ramshackle charm of Ferness and its iconic phone box.

This makes a musical version of the movie quite a natural step, you’d think. So let’s start there. Knopfler’s music plays a pivotal role in the Edinburgh Lyceum Theatre’s new Local Hero musical, co-written by Forsyth and David Greig, the Lyceum’s artistic director, which saunters southwards for a run at the Old Vic in June next year.

Knopfler has written no fewer than 18 new songs for the show but, to be honest, that’s probably a few too many – especially when only a handful of them feel immediately memorable. The stomping ‘Dirty Filthy Rich” as the villagers contemplate their imminent riches and the fantasy wish-fulfilment of “That’d Do Me” stand out, but others are far less distinctive, though Knopfler effectively brings the unmistakable twang of Scottish trad firmly to the fore, aided by a strong seven-piece live ensemble clearly at home in folk music. The very act of transforming Forsyth’s creation into a musical radically alters what was the film’s leisurely pacing, however. Knopfler’s songs inevitably pause the plot for contemplation, but the spoken sections thereby need to move things along, at what sometimes feels like an overly brisk pace.

Local HeroSo yes, despite its faithfulness to often quite small details of dialogue and plot, there are definite differences between the musical and the film. Ditched are young Peter Capaldi’s gauche Danny Oldsen and his (possibly) mermaid lover Marina, but elsewhere, there’s a harder edge and sharper definition to Local Hero the musical’s characters. Stella, the “sort-of” wife of hotelier/solicitor/accountant/taxi driver Gordon (a wonderfully slippery Matthew Pidgeon, just as oily as Denis Lawson in the movie), emerges as arguably the work’s central role, a forthright blow-in from Glasgow there to act as the villagers’ conscience, and given a strong, focused performance by Katrina Bryan (pictured above), who sings beautifully too. Adam Pearce has a wonderfully convincing swagger as Soviet fisherman Viktor, and Julian Forsyth (pictured below with Damian Humbley) makes an interestingly outspoken Ben, the ageing, land-owning beachcomber who proves the stumbling block to the purchasing plans of Texan Mac (Humbley), whose conversion to quiet village life is signposted perhaps a little too clearly.

Designer Scott Pask provides a simple set of miniature houses and stacked crates, all topped by a vast hanging screen that acts as a setting for Luke Halls’s sumptuous projections – of the villagers’ huge skies (looking like smeary Jolomo paintings), of the stars and comets so beloved of oil magnate Happer, of smudged dancers forming the shapes and colours of the northern lights.

Local HeroLocal Hero purists might balk at Greig and Forsyth’s changes – or perhaps contemplate what new light they shed on the work’s themes of home and progress, greed and self-sufficiency. There’s no doubt that the musical feels in sharper focus, with a stronger sense of direction and inevitability. And while that brings a new gentle propulsiveness to the plot – nudged along nicely in director John Crowley’s flowing production – it also means that Local Hero the musical is somewhat lighter on whimsy and childlike wonder. Nonetheless, it’s a captivating show that retains all of the movie’s mischievous elusiveness, with an ending that swerves suddenly sideways from apparently inevitable joy to deep sadness.

[skydiver]

from the wee Review

Local Hero   
at Royal Lyceum Theatre

An excellent adaptation of a classic film that is hilarious, heartbreaking and all too relevant.

Reviews / Theatre / Local Hero  Nico Marrone | 26 Mar 2019

 
Bill Forsyth’s classic 1983 comedy-drama, Local Hero, is often regarded as a seminal work in Scottish cinema. It served as a stepping-stone in the move away from the Kailyard-esque portrayal of Scotland which had dominated the industry up until that point; a move that would be completed by the release of Trainspotting in 1996. It seems fitting then that the new stage-musical adaptation of Local Hero also finds itself oddly placed both in and outside of the Kailyard. This proves to not necessarily be a bad thing, for every part of the show is masterfully executed and beautifully crafted to form an experience that is at once side-splittingly hilarious and utterly heartbreaking.

Of course, this seems only natural considering Forsyth penned the book which David Greig adapted for the production, resulting in a script that is incredibly sharp but simultaneously able to shift this humour to sadness and back on a whim. Local Hero keeps many of the hallmarks of the original film: it is after all the same story of a Houston Oil company representative becoming won over by the residents of the small Scottish village he has been sent to buy. At the same time, it also makes several updates that ultimately better the original. Gone is Danny (Peter Capaldi’s character in the film) who almost served as a buffer between the film’s central character, Mac, and the community of Ferness, as such that character’s experience in the town feels all the more personal.

This is, of course, aided by Damian Humbley’s portrayal of Mac, along with the rest of the cast who excellently bring the colourful characters of Ferness to life. The audience really come to care and sympathise with every single member of the community despite their often opposing ideals. Be it Stella’s (Katrina Bryan) desire to maintain the unspoilt, albeit idealised, beauty of  Ferness that only she – as an ‘blow-in’ – can see; Mistress Fraser’s (Wendy Somerville) wish to elope with the ‘Soviet Sinatra’ Viktor (a standout wonderfully characterised by Adam Pearce); or Iain (John McLarnon) and his dream to buy a new guitar and go on tour with his band. All of them are immediately memorable and feel like concrete characters with genuine economical and environmental concerns -the latter of which feels all the more relevant in the age of Trump and his golf courses.

These performances are greatly aided by John Crowley’s direction which, along with Lucy Hind’s superb choreography, makes for a spell-binding experience to watch as the audience struggles to take their eyes off the characters’ movements during the musical numbers. At the same time however, it is sometimes a struggle to return one’s gaze to the action on stage as it is so easily distracted by the canopy suspended above, upon which the sky is projected. The broad, colourful brush strokes that make up the evening sunset and the subtle twinkling of the stars at night are thoroughly mesmerising and – combined with the simple set on-stage – makes for a masterclass in minimalist set-design.

All of this, though, would be nothing were it not for the music composed by Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler, who famously composed the soundtrack to the original film. The tone of the guitar is iconically Knopfler, and as such is immediately recognisable the moment it picks up in the opening number, “A Barrel of Crude”, helping to encapsulate the 80s setting. Although it resonates throughout many of the songs, it melds beautifully with the traditional Scottish sound, giving an almost Ceilidh-like feel to many of the songs. Taking from a variety of genres, the fantastically composed songs will leave audience members humming the tunes long after the show has finished; especially “Big Mac” and “Cheerio Away You Go”.

Local Hero is a myriad of successes, particularly from a musical and technical standpoint, however it is not without some flaws. While the script may be witty and accompanied by strong performances all around, it does suffer from a degree of kitsch. Namely in the lack-lustre, Deus ex machina way in which the inherent conflict is resolved. While the sombre ending is heart-wrenching, one cannot help but feel unsatisfied in the way it came about. That said, it does not detract from the show too much and as one exits the Lyceum with the classic theme “Going Home” playing overhead, you will find yourself smiling as you reflect on the charming and wonderful piece of theatre that has just been experienced.

[superval99]

DAILY BUSINESS MAGAZINE


Local Hero

Musical theatre: Local Hero (rating 5/5)

The 1983 movie Local Hero was a landmark moment for Scottish cinema. Coming two years after writer Bill Forsyth’s breakthrough hit Gregory’s Girl, it redefined the stereotype portrayals of Scotland that had been depicted in movies of the 50s and 60s. Aided and abetted by some fantastic scenery and an evocative soundtrack from Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler, its impact and appeal have only grown in the past 36 years as it has moved from cult film to bona-fide classic.

All of which makes it ripe for a stage revival, but also carries the risk of it failing to live up to the standards set by the original. Any fears about the wisdom of the project are however unjustified. Not only does this new musical adaptation respect the legacy of the movie, it enhances it and there’s every chance that it could have the same effect for Scottish theatre, that the movie had for Scottish cinema, bringing it to mainstream audiences across the world.

The story is broadly the same as it was in the movie. Mac Macintyre (played by Damian Humbley), the America-based representative of a Texan oil magnate is despatched to the fictional Scottish coast town of Ferness to buy the land and secure the construction rights for a large oil refinery. It’s a deal that offers the locals money that they never could have dreamed of, but that comes at a price. The sea and sky that have been there for eternity will be lost to them.
Julian Forsyth as Ben
Julian Forsyth as Ben, left, with Damian Humbley as Mac (pic: Terry Murden)

The locals are not so sentimental that they don’t recognise what they could do with the money, and any romantic notions about the landscape are for people who haven’t lived all their lives there. Gordon Urqhuart (Matthew Pidgeon), the local publican, hotel owner, accountant and solicitor, sets out to strike a deal with Max that will change the locals’ lives. The main opposition to selling the town comes from his partner Stella (Katrina Bryan), an outsider born in Glasgow.

All of the main characters are superbly portrayed, with Pidgeon capturing perfectly the essence of the biggest man in a small town, Humbley convincing as the businessman finally noticing that the world is more than just a collection of deals to strike, and Bryan as the dreamer who found peace in a tranquillity that others had no choice but to tolerate.

The lack of misty-eyed depiction of the locals, and the replacement of yearning for bygone times with a practical hard-headed realism is one of the things that made the movie stand out against other cinematic versions of Scotland, and this is carried forward into the musical.

Unlike many musicals, where the songs appear to be set pieces, confirming what we’ve seen and placing the story on hold until they’re over, Knopfler’s new score, written for the musical, drives the plot forward and puts the characters’ thoughts and emotions into words, sounds and movement. Filthy Dirty Rich is performed with a joyous sense of abandonment as Gordon leads the village in unmitigated celebration of their new found wealth, and it’s perfectly contrasted with the beautifully reflective Rocks and Water where Stella questions what is really important in life and concludes there are some things that money can’t take the place of.

Director John Crowley clearly knows that the atmosphere of the movie was created by far more than scenery alone, and this is reflected in the set design by Scott Pask, which is simple, yet effective, enabling the story to switch effortlessly between different locations which are all brought to life by the characters, the script and the music.

Where something more is needed, such as the Northern Lights and an American trading floor, it’s done through the lighting and projection designs of Puale Constable and Paul Arditti.

From start to finish this is an excellent, well-considered production, with superb acting, singing, movement and direction that all come together to bring the spirit of the fictional Scottish town to the stage. It’s already booked in for an extended run at The Lyceum and transfers to the Old Vic in London next year. It should become every bit as important and timeless as the film was.

[superval99]

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL.org

Local Hero

By David Petherick | March 27, 2019

It's a big risk to take such an iconic, well-loved Scottish film and turn it into a stage musical. But Local Hero at The Lyceum is a triumphant, joyous and uplifting success.

From the start, sparse, simple staging and subtle washes of light create an intimate, evocative atmosphere, with earthy humour and a distinctly Scottish approach to money is highlighted. Author David Greig, co-writing with the Director of the original 1983 film Bill Forsyth, had a deft choice of characters, situations and dialogue to carry the story. So many episodes and one-liners echoed, nodded to, and went beyond the genius of the original.

A completely new score and lyrics by Mark Knopfler are delivered magnificently by live musicians and is complemented by gorgeous, confident vocal performances from an outstanding cast. There is celtic folk, blues, cabaret and rollicking rock. None of the characters really resemble those from the original - all have quite different appearances, and all fill the roles with new nuances. The character of Stella is drawn out and develops in particular in a different way to what many will remember from the big screen. And the motorcyle maniac Robby is very much present, but there only as an unexpected, loud, but entirely invisible presence.

Music, of course, pulls us through the story rather than images or action, and the motif of 'big oil' and the environmental subtext of the original is cleverly brought up to date through the now seemingly archaic sentiments in 'A Barrel of Crude' and the bawdy, bombastic 'Filty Dirty Rich' is delivered memorably by the entire company. There is a soft, elegaic quality to Mistress Fraser's 'I wonder if I can go home again' and the first act ends with the magnificent Russian vowel sounds of Viktor, drunkenly relishing the delivery of his mournful lament in 'Lone Star State'.
Stunning simplicity & iconic imagery

The second act opens with the aftermath of the ceilidh celebrated ironically with a hungover belting out of 'Never felt better' before Ben delivers his bombshell news in 'Cheerio, Away you go' to provide the crucial stumbling block to Ferness' dreams of riches. There's perhaps a covert political message for our times with 'Get a move on' before more elegy and reflection with Mac and Gordon's touching duet 'In an ideal world', ending with a show-stopping tango.

There's a quiet mastery in the way that elements such as Gordon and Stella's dancing weaves in and out of the story, and Mac's ridiculous electric briefcase and digital watch echo key scenes from the film, but they have an enlivened, strictly theatrical presence here that are stunning in their simplicity. In the same way, a simple shrug from Mistress Fraser, when asked about the origins of the unseen baby, answers his question and raises a laugh in the theatre in a quite different way to the laugh the film scene evokes.


The iconic phone box is there of course, and backdrop of a big, ever changing sky move and are lit superbly, and the sounds of gentle waves, or terrifying motorbikes, or a plaintive ring tone all work into a cohesive, deeply pleasing whole. The choreography of how the cast move in some of the big set pieces is masterful, and both costumes and props are understated, but just right somehow. And the idea of home, belonging, and loneliness, both for the residents of Ferness and, quite altered by his visit, for Mac, becomes a bigger, more central element on stage than in the film.

I don't want to single out any one performer for praise - they are all quite magnificent both individually, and as an ensemble. This is a fantastic melding of all the power of great musical theatre, and it is a credit to everyone involved in bringing this much loved story to the stage. Tickets are already a hot item, and deservedly so. Go and see this gorgeous, show - it will surely delight and uplift you, and wherever you call home, it will make you happy to be in Scotland.

5 stars ★★★★★

[goon525]

There’s getting to be a pattern to these reviews, isn’t there!