Brixton To Become a TABOO Subject

[Phantom of London]

A new site-specific production of Boy George¯s 2002 musical Taboo will be staged later this year at the recently opened Brixton Club House.

Running from 7 September to 23 December 2012, the revival will be helmed by the show¯s co-creator and original director, Whatsonstage.com Award-winner Christopher Renshaw. According to press material, it is also ¯actively supported¯ by other members of the original creative team including book writer Mark Davies Markham, casting director Anne Vosser and Boy George himself.

[songanddanceman2]

Excited about this but wish they were mixing elements from he UK and Broadway production. Both were great but neither perfect, but with mixing the elements they could have the perfect show. Truth be told i much prefer the Broadway score and most of the scenes, but i liked how intimate the UK one was

[devonian.t]

Chris Renshaw did not do a good job on this show. The Broadway production was less muddled but a great score was let down by a weak script

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Dev! I disagree!

[tommyslim]

Amazing news! cannot wait to see it back - hopefully it will again be hugely successful!

[devonian.t]

Mama, you can't imagine how much I wanted to love the show- I grew up in Eltham and Boy George was a familiar figure wandering around before he hit the bigtime.

The problem is the script wasn't sure whether it wanted to be a bio-musical, or the semi-fictional story in the sub-plot, which felt like it had fallen out of 'Closer to Heaven'.

I felt it pulled itself apart, even though there were any number of fantastic turns- Matt Lucas, Luke Evans, Euan Morton (of course), Lyn Paul, the amazing Paul Baker and oh who was that fantastic girl who played Big Sue?

Anyway, the tone killed it- it didn't know whether to take itself seriously or not. Example: Boy George describes "Karma Chameleon" as his "criminal record"- but then it gets shoved on the end of the show as the encore. You know, either the production despises the song, or it doesn't.

In The Venue, as it was, it should have been a modern day Cabaret. Sadly, for me, it was nowhere near as decadent as it thought, and nowhere near as insightful of the 80s scene as it ought to have been.

As I said, though, I feel it was one of the best new scores of the decade- possibly the best.

[songanddanceman2]

The score is to die for, but as i said the Broadway score is far more impressive. I think the London production was fun but messy, the book was all over the place (the ending in India was a disaster). I think Charles Busch did some great work on the Broadway book but it was still uneven. Mix the 2 productions and you have a great show.

[Phantom of London]

I haven't seen this show here or in New York, nor listened to the cast recording, so know nothing about this show, except fellow theatre enthusiasts exude how good the show is, so definitely looking forward to this.

I was surprised when this was announced today and gather all you were?

[bob8rich]

Saw the Taboo tour (in Cardiff) and loved it. Also love the Broadway cast album. So would really love to see a new production that captures the best of both versions - or any kind of production at all with this fabulous score.

Will be very interested to find out more about the casting for this.

[Phantom of London]

Paul Baker will reprise his role as club promoter Philip Sallon in the forthcoming revival of Boy George’s musical Taboo, which runs at Brixton Club House from 6 September to 23 December 2012.

[songanddanceman2]

Loved Baker in the original but apparently he was a nightmare to work with.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

He's always a nightmare to work with but his works always a dream and he was divine in 'Taboo'

[rockyhorrorfan]

I loved the London production and enjoyed the tour (although it obviously lacked the intimacy of the original). Didn't like the Broadway cast recording.

George has said he may add a new song.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Ditto, RHF x

[songanddanceman2]

I'm sorry but even if you hated the physical production on Broadway i don't understand how anybody could not think the OBC recording was a MASSIVE improvement over the UK one. The orchestrations were divine, the new songs like The Fame Game and the new finale were brilliant and the whole thing had energy.

I think we are to quick to hold the UK version of Taboo up as this perfect thing. Sure the show was good, i liked the intimacy etc, however the book was a mess, Billy and what's her name were pointless, Petal was pointless, the ending in India was a massive let down etc. The Broadway one whilst OTT and still having some book problems was far more structured, the humour was better and the music flowed in and out.

[bob8rich]

Plus the OBC cast recording has Raul Esparza's amazing vocals!

[rockyhorrorfan]

I hate Raul Esparaza's vocal gymnastics (hated his Riff Raff in Rocky Horror) so that put me off straight away. I didn't like any of the new songs and missed all the original songs that were dropped.

I can only compare the London and Broadway versions musically as I never saw the show on Broadway.

[devonian.t]

Can't wait for the early reports!

I made my own playlist mixing both recordings, which each have their own virtues.

I think I'm right in saying it was Martin Lowe who did a huge amount of the early work to get the score into shape. Sadly he couldn't go forward with the production because of timing clashes. But he was responsible for Out of Fashion and the more theatrical moments.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

The London production was great little rough and ready production, you felt like you were in the clubs that this group of people actually attended.
The Broadway production was over orchestrated and over blown and rewritten so that the poor American audiences, once again, could understand what was going on on stage!
Length of Broadway run and the fiasco of producing it says a lot doesn't it!

[devonian.t]

mama, you must have been very drunk :)

London was nowhere near grungy enough for me.

I do miss Pie in the Sky from the Broadway score but Come on In... is a great song too.

I'm not sure what the Rosie political stuff was all about, and I'm not sure Taboo could ever find an audience on Broadway, but I don't think it makes it a bad show.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

I was in some of those clubs, yes, very drunk, many nights, Mud.. the lot! Had my bag knocked form the cloakroom by the girl who worked there who was one Georges friends! They were fun, and scary, times!

Broadway wasn't a bad show it just had none of the required atmosphere that 'Taboo' needed.
The show worked on tour in largish UK theatres but lacked the intimate atmosphere of the Leicester Sq Theatre and that was the Broadway productions problem.
After having seen London audiences lap it up on 3 or 4 occasions it was like watching it in a doctors waiting room in New York.
Such a shame but I'm delighted its back in London... maybe we should meet up for it one night!!!

[devonian.t]

I'll start getting into training! We'll have to take the boy SADM2 along for the experience!

[MamasDoin'Fine]

In costume!
I'll go as Marilyn! LOL

[devonian.t]

Ho hum I guess I have to be Leigh Bowery again!!!

[Phantom of London]

As a complete novice to the show................all what I can say is, that I am looking forward to this more tan any other show, especially over Viva and Bodyguard. lol

[devonian.t]

Well, of course this is a revival of show about which we know a great deal. The other two pieces have never appeared on stage so we naturally know less about them.

"lol"