Stage: The Magic of Chichester

The Sussex theatre festival that spells West End Success

Over the last ten years Chichester Festival Theatre has an enviable reputation for staging extraordinary work of all kinds, new plays, classic plays, comedy, tragedy and of course musicals. Their reputation for revisiting classic works of musical theatre is second to none and so many of these great productions have transferred to the West End where they have gone on to receive even further accolades and awards.
CFT have tackled not only the biggest hits of the musical stage but also some lesser known works, all with the same energy and style, and their commitment to great theatre of all kinds, from those classics to new plays like Enron, has served them well. Critical acclaim runs side by side with their ability to draw international theatre stars to Chichester, all keen to work with the excellent team that gathers there each season.

So it is no surprise that right now there is a tangible buzz about the forthcoming production of Mack & Mabel. This musical comedy depicts the true romance between Hollywood legends Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand, two trailblazers of the silent film era.
Sennet was the genius behind the Keystone Cops films, an obsessive and self confessed workaholic. He fell in love with screen star Mabel and she with him but the story revolves around his inability to show affection, the key to show’s biggest number I Won’t Send Roses. It’s a great song and for this new production is in the more than capable hands, or should I say voice, of Michael Ball.
Ball is a consummate professional, a charming man with a keen sense of humour and a tendency to self-deprecation. None of this however will detract from his ability to nail a role as was seen in his acclaimed portrayal of the eponymous Sweeney Todd in C’s amazing production. So dark was his performance that on the opening nights people were going to the box office and asking for refunds as Ball was not playing the role. Of course he was but this was perhaps his darkest and his finest hour and the grim persona that he had adopted was barely recognisable as the fun man that we know from his concert, radio and TV appearances.

On his recent concert tour Ball previewed I Won’t Send Roses and the audience went wild. No doubt he will do the same when Mack & Mabel opens.
Mack & Mabel is also choreographed by Stephen Mear, another award winning Brighton based theatre star whose work has been seen on the international stage and at Chichester as well as choreography he has directed She Loves Me, a charming and seldom revived musical. But his catalogue of hits is too long to relate here and his work is best seen to be appreciated.
Key to much of CFT’s recent success has to be the work of Jonathan Church. His directorial skills coupled with his programming have been very much the foundation of the company’s success. Earlier this year Artistic Director Jonathan Church and Executive Director Alan Finch announced that they are to step down from their respective roles at Chichester Festival Theatre at the end of September 2016, following Festival 2016. There is little doubt that they will be much missed – but that they have set down a solid base for the theatre’s future success.
Mack & Mabel opened on 13 July and runs until 5 September
Tickets: £25, £34
16 – 25 year olds: £8.50 – on sale for all performances from 10 August, Box Office
cft.org.uk, 01243 781312