I was a young teenager when I discovered Jeff Wayne's scoring for The War Of The Worlds - a new concept album of a Musical, which, to this day, has never made it past the concept stage. The only theatrical stagings of this show have been using multi-media, in large arenas and presenting the show in a semi-staged, concert version.
Released on a double cassette (I still have it) in 1978, the original concept album starred David Essex and Richard Burton, and somehow, no matter who else has portaryed the roles since, they still remain in my head.. the definitive voices.
The version reviewed here was recorded at London's O2 Arena in 2012, and is released by Universal Pictures. It was available to watch for free online this weekend as part of the YouTube series of concerts and filmed Musicals "The Shows Must Go On". This production starred a 3D holograph performance from Liam Neeson as The Journalist (narrator), with live performances from Marti Pellow (the singing voice of the journalist), Ricky Wilson (The Artilleryman), Will Stapleton (The Voice Of Humanity), Kerry Ellis (The Parson's Wife), and Jason Donovan (Nathaniel, The Parson). The whole extravaganza was conducted by Jeff Wayne himself, with The Ulladubulla Strings and The Black Smoke Band creating that very distinctive soundscape of conventional orchestral instruments, other accoustic instruments with electric and manipulated sound.
This version was also a newly reworked version with an added prequel, and extra smaller sections, mostly to do with the film which was played continuously on a large screen behind the ensemble. Hence the "A New Generation" added to the title.
As with the only other time I have seen this show, I came away wondering just exactly what I had seen.... pop concert? music concert? film? and there is so little real live acting that it hardly counts as a theatrical presentation really, but most of the songs are delivered live at least. It's big, it's bold, and, like most large concert events these days there is always something to make it different, spectacular, and appealling; in this case it was the appearance above the stage of a 3-tonne, 35ft tall Martian fighting machine which delivered its heat-ray to the seated audience near the front of the stage.
The film felt "acted" - which of course it was, but the whole point of the film was to make it seem real surely?! But my largest criticism against authenticism, was the fact that the Artilleryman sported a large beard, which in 1898 (the time this show is set) would have been forbidden. Only sailors were allowed to wear beards, all other armed forces must have been either clean-shaven or wearing moustaches only.
This spectacle is much better live, I can attest to that, but even then, this combination of genres simply doesn't thrill and work in any meaningful way, and I wonder what draws the crowds to this spectacle each time it goes on tour... the star names perhaps?
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 24/10/20
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