cont... Bad Joe (ie who stays behind), in dodgy white shellsuit, ends up in court, then embarks on a downward spiral, taking a dead-end job holding a Golf Sale sign in a bid to raise cash to woo Sarah back. He then links up with sinister school pal Reecey and they embark on a life of petty crime that eventually lands Joe in prison.
Good Joe (who escapes), in smart black suit, becomes a property whizzkid, climbing the ladder (if not altogether ethically), setting himself up in business and successfully landing Sarah. He seems to have it made. Watching over all this is Joe's dad (ex-EastEnder 'Tricky Dickie' Ian Reddington), who reappears throughout the show, pleading with both Joes to make the right decisions and singing the first of the new songs, Simple Equation. His appearance throughout is marked by the song (it's almost his signature tune). It's a dark number - but a grower - and it would be good to see done by the band on stage at Christmas. By half way through the first half it's clear that one of the great things about the show is that, because of their everyday and narrative nature, songs like My Girl, Embarrassment and Shut Up fit the storyline so well. No awkward jemmying is required to fit them in. Joe falls out with Sarah: 'My girl's mad at me...' Joe's family react to his arrest: 'You're an embarrasment..' Joe gets nicked: 'I tell you I didn't do it, cos I wasn't there...' They make sense and HELP the story, rather than just being an excuse for it. One big eyebrow-raiser was Prospects, which comes half through the first half and fits seamlessly into the tale. It works very, very well. And such a refreshing change to hear one of the lesser album tracks given the big treatment - and it is a BIG treatment as practically the whole cast are involved. (Note to Madness: Any chance of following suit at Christmas?) All in all, the first half contains more 'big', choreographed numbers, the following of which really stood out for me: * Our House - front of Joe's terraced home bursts apart to reveal massive birthday party, culminating in most of the cast jumping through a huge skipping rope * Driving In My Car - Joe, Sarah and pals take a trip to the country in a battered Morris Minor, which ends up with the car careering through several backdrops (just like the original video), including a trip down a VERY familiar rollercoaster. Big crowd favourite, huge round of applause for this one. * Baggy Trousers - chaos in classroom on last day of school, with desks whizzing across stage, bemused headmaster, plenty of naughty boys/girls and fantasic dance sequence * The Sun And The Rain/Tomorrow's Just Another Day - this medley closes the first half on a real high, and the former crops up again in the second act to good effect. After such a rip-roaring start, the second half is always going to have a hard act to follow, particularly as - with the dual storyline - there are a lot of loose ends to tie up. As a result it's slower, and to be honest, could do with some cutting. It's more plot-driven and there's more dialogue. Personally, I was waiting for them to stop yakking and for the next song to kick in. (Chris C-P, I know you disagree!) This e-mail and all attachments are confidential and may be privileged. If you have received this e-mail in error, notify the sender immediately. Do not use, disseminate, store or copy it in any way. Statements or opinions in this e-mail or any attachment are those of the author and are not necessarily agreed or authorised by News International (NI). NI Group may monitor emails sent or received for operational or business reasons as permitted by law. NI Group accepts no liability for viruses introduced by this e-mail or attachments. You should employ virus checking software. News International plc, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701 ______________________________________________________________ Visit the Total Madness Mailing List website for: news, members section, madmeet info, list charter, competitions, & more... http://www.madness7.com Contact the TMML Moderators at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] and in the message body put: unsubscribe total-madness
