Salad Days is not a commonly performed musical. This could be because the tunes are wishy washy, though the lyrics are terrific. Or it could be the dated narrative. The story of a posh young couple who find themselves charged with the care of a magic piano that makes people dance, it becomes increasingly silly with one number performed in a flying saucer. Whatever the reason, this reprised revival with an achingly uninspiring first half, is not about to reverse that trend.
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| Lettuce play |
Things really improve after the interval when we find ourselves in an Egyptian club. It's a cracking scene with lots of verbal jokes and a very funny cabaret, but like so much of this musical, it's totally gratuitous. The lift in mood that follows restores goodwill, but it can't disguise thin material that is worked with great enthusiasm but little inspiration. The feel is very am-dram with all the women sounding like Joyce Grenfell and the men like Leslie Phillips. Scene changes are clunky and the lighting unimaginative.
The stars of the show are the character actors who work their material hard. Tony Timberlake is extremely funny as the dancing police inspector and as Augustine Williams the fashionista. Mark Inscoe and Kathryn Martin create mayhem in the club scene and Tom Millen is charming as PC Lancelot Boot.
In conclusion: There are no great songs and no great singers, but everyone's in tune, they dance with humour, the energy's positive, and there is a feel good ending that will send families out into the night with a smile on their faces.
References
Riverside Studios,
tickets
Michael Coveney review in The Independent
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