TAKE THAT TRIBUTE
Their music made a generation of young girls cry. But can the songs of boy band Take That sustain a hit musical, wonders Adrian Turpin
aced with the prospect of Never I'm-get. ‘a
new musical based on the songs ol’ Take
'l‘hat'. you'd be forgiven for thinking ‘Mummu Mia. here we go again . . .' The Abba musical is eight years old now but it continues to inspire imitators. Queen. Madness and The Proclaimers have all had their back catalogues plundered in recent years. with varying degrees of success. At this rate. it won‘t be long before 72m Sexy: The Rig/II Said Fred :l/Iil.v‘i('(1/ or No! In Love: The l()(‘(‘ Ballet arrives at a theatre near you.
‘The genre of the catalogue musical is nothing new.’ says Tristan Baker. the 28-year-old producer of i‘v'ever l‘in‘gei. 'Gershwin did it. Some of the earliest Ginger Rodgers and Fred Astaire movies took the popular music of the day and placed it in a story.
‘Let‘s face it. :llummu Mia has been around a long time. The problem is there's been a number of [band-based musicals] that have basically been quite crap. and that means people can say. “oh the genre is cheap. it's the lowest fonn".‘
10 THE LIST 9—16 Aug 2007
The important thing. Baker insists. is that the story should stand tip by" itsell‘. rather than be
shoe-horned in around 'Relight My Iiire‘. ‘Nev er
liorget‘ and the other l8 greatest hits. Where Mummu Mia employed (‘atherine Jones. a young playwright whose work had been performed at
London‘s new writing theatre. The Bush. Never
I'm-get has turned to the. at first glance. unlikely ligurc of Danny Brocklchurst. the Bal‘ta-vvinning screenwriter ol‘ .S'liume/ess. ('loeking ()fl and Sorted. "l'he lirst dral't landed without the songs or the props.’ Baker says. .and we hope that's what will help give it longevity.~
It should be said that. while acknowledging Brocklehurst’s undoubted talents. plot-wise we're not talking Hamlet. ()ur hero is Ash. a Mancunian lad who joins a Take That tribute band in order to make some money. While he impersonates (iary Barlow. his best l‘riend .lakc plays Robbie Williams. ((‘an you see vv here this one's going?) Meanwhile. love interest is provided by Chloe. Ash‘s long—stillerng girlfriend and Annie. the little minx who tries to come between the couple.
It‘s not giving much away to reveal that there is a break tip when one member gets too big l‘or the band (‘there are a few nods and winks to real life] Baker says) and that the show ends in a wedding. Nor is it entirely surprising that many of the twists and turns along the way involve a svengali manager with the gilt ol‘ the gab —~ Nigel Martin Smith‘s lawyers take note. The moral would appear to be that. by playing somebody else. it is possible to find otit who you really are.
For true Take That fans. however. the oil-stage
story ol New; liner! iiiay piove as iiitiieiiiiie as vvlial happens on stage. \\ lieiievei the llltlslv'.il has been mentioned Ill the iievvspapeis. it‘s Usually noted that it does not have the backing ol Take That. In March. the group even issued a statement to that ellect: "I he band vvoiiltl like to state categorically that this piotliiction is being undertaken with neithei theii involvement iioi their eiidoi'seiiient.' .\nd iii case anyone vvas iii
any doubt: "l'hey vvoiiltl vvish theii tans and the general public to knovv that this pioiliittion is absolutely and lift) per cent nothing to tll' vvitli lake ’l‘hat.‘
Btit. according to Bakei. the tiiitli is a little Itiot'e complicated. 'I knovv (iai’v [Bailovvl vve|| lle‘s even written a song loi me in the past he says. '.'\lltl vave been talking .ll‘tllll this sliovv since lelll. l'.\cl‘_\llllltf..‘ vvas llv ensed vv it|i ( i.tl_\ \ permission. \s yoii kiiovv. yoii tan‘t litense rights vvithoiit the coniposeis peiinission anyvvay.‘
Baker says Bai'lovv even savv tll.lll\ ol the \\ iipt as it \yas developed: ‘lle vvas iiistiiiiiiental in a lot ol' the choices artistically involved in the production and the ideas~
| hey vveie heav ilj. lhis.
‘I HOPE THE WORD OF MOUTH WILL BE SO GOOD THAT TAKE THAT WILL COME AND HAVE A LOOK AND GIVE US THEIR OPINION'