Glasgow, Edinburgh & London 2007
‘Scotland,’ someone said at a Music and Performance Comittee meeting in October 2006, ‘we haven’t been there before’! So, Scotland it was.
We needed a Director for the show and set about recruiting one through ‘The Stage’ and the other usual sources. After much deliberation by the team we chose Julian Woolford, whose connections and exemplary background in ‘Theatre’ complimented that of our Musical Director.
The idea of ‘Bad Boys’ as a theme had already been conceived; telling a tale of ‘Bad Boys’ through music, prose and poetry.
This was a new departure for the LGMC and a real challenge for our two Directors. It was a challenge for the Chorus too, as elements of theatre took the place of choralography, with James Bond, Queen and Carmen Jones taking the place of our usual fayre.
We were to be partnered with “Loud and Proud” in Scotland and through the coming months a flurry of emails began to take place between the two Choruses.
One of the hottest debates within the LGMC was whether to include a Scottish song or not. Our own David More (a true Scot) was chosen to sing the song ‘A Man's a Man for a' that’.
The LGMC machine well oiled and slick began to roll inexorably northwards. The Usher Hall and The Strathclyde Suite were selected as suitable theatres for touring – quite different venues in both size and audience. If we couldn’t get these venues our Plan B consisted of looking at Regional Theatres. There was a venue that we approached who thought we performed naked. That made us laugh, the LGMC naked – have you seen the boys?
Our Business Development Team also encountered some stiff terrain, when a well known University responded on line with “**** off you poofs”. They weren’t deterred and some people from the Uni’ actually came to see us.
The Usher Hall resounded on the 20 May 2007 to ‘Bad Boys’ as the Chorus entered from every possible entrance, chanting the beginning of “We will Rock You”. As the show came down there wasn’t much time for partying as we had to swiftly move on the next day to Glasgow. To say the Strathclyde Suite is small in comparison to the Usher Hall, would be akin to comparing The London Palladium to a thimble. It certainly demanded some creativity with the one dressing room. Plus the Production Manager forgot to order rostra – oops!
The reception we receieved in Glasgow was quite tremendous, with city dignatories meeting us after the show, an octane high for the LGMC and L&P as our tour together had come to an end.
A two month gap between Scotland and London allowed the team to tweak the show for our home audience. As usual, we stopped traffic as we warmed up outside the Cadogan Hall. Some of the Chorus even stopped traffic inside the hall!
It must be emphasised, however, that the Chorus rarely takes a break and between these shows we participated in gigs at The National Portrait Gallery and The Opening of the new South Bank Centre.
The LGMC had come home after a thoroughly rewarding and successful season.
