West End Live 2015

Louise Gold featured as Mazeppa from Gypsy, performing at 17:40 on Saturday 20 June 2015, in Trafalgar Square

There were many many West End performers taking part in West End Live. Your webmaster feels there were too many to track down and list everything, so is only detailing the Gypsy Performances on this page.

Cast (Includes)

Anita Louise Coombe – as Tessie Tura from Gypsy

Louise Gold – as Mazeppa from Gypsy

Julie Legrand – as Electra from Gypsy

Lara Pulver – as Rose Louise from Gypsy

Production Team

Louise Gold, Anita Louise Coombe, Julie Legrand, and, Lara Pulver appeared in West End Live to represent the musical Gypsy with an excerpt from that show.

Review

by Emma Shane, June 2015

Wow! they are amazing. What an thrill to see Louise Gold, Anita Louise Coombe and Julie LeGrand in all their glory performing their magnificent performance of You Gotta Get A Gimmick at West End Live. It was pouring with rain when they were on, and the announcer mentioned that when these performers had set out from The Savoy (in full costume, having just done a matinee) it started to rain and they had had to walk up the strand in their costumes. However, nothing was going to stop these actresses from giving it everything. Of course most of them have previous experience of Open Air performance, several of them have played Regents Park, but one thing about West End Live is that the show does go on even in the pouring rain, unlike Regents Park where the show can get “rained off” (as some of these ladies know only too well). Here the stage is covered and the show just goes on. This was certainly one performance for which from an audience point of view was worth getting wet for.

When I heard that Gypsy was to be part of West End Live 2015, I did not know who would be appearing, or what number would be done. But strangely enough I did find myself wondering whether there was a possibility that Louise Gold might be among those doing it. I also felt pretty sure that Lara Pulver was likely to be involved in some way or another. And yes I did wonder if the number might be Gimmick, after all it is a number which wouldn’t necessarily require a lot of props or scenery, and would work well on is own out of context. It’s a pretty sensational number, and is performed very well by three excellent performers, who have little to do in the rest of the show, but are absolute stars in this number. I just felt I had to take a chance and go and find out, after all whatever number from Gypsy was done it was bound to be a good one. All the cast are pretty good. On reaching Trafalgar Square, it was starting to rain, I found a place to stand, near one of the ponds, where I could get a reasonable view of the stage and also of the big viewing screens. The on-stage announcer who had to introduce the number explained that the cast members had had to walk up the Strand in the rain in their costumes and must have looked funny. As she said this I found myself thinking, “it just had to be Gimmick”, which of course it was. First on we had Lara Pulver and Anita-Louise Coombe as Rose-Louise and Tessie Tura respectively, acting out on a bare stage an excerpt of a scene between their two characters (which in the show takes place in Tessie’s dressing room). Then on stomps Louise Gold, tall and magnificent as Mazeppa, with that amazing Roman-style headdress etc, and right away she commands the very large audience’s attention. The big crane mounted camera for the viewing screens also focuses on her, as she first delivers a line about not doing lines, and then adds growling “And one more disparaging remark about my gladiator ballet will find this bugle….”

The dialogue is handled swiftly by all four actresses, and soon it is Louise Gold who takes centre stage to start their actual number. She does it with her wonderful big voice, obviously they are all miked as well. But it is her stage presence that shines out, as she sings, dances about the stage and plays the trumpet. Then it is Julie LeGrand’s turn, followed by Anita Louise Coombe. All three are just brilliant, both in their individual turns in this number and then together. They play it like the true pro troupers that they are to a huge crowed. They were a triumph. And I gather the penultimate act of the day. What a glorious piece.

One of the special things about West End Live is not just that it is a free event, but that it is for everyone to come along to, and that includes whole families. So it was a wonderful opportunity for families to bring small children (who would be too young to sit through a whole West End show) to see a sample of the West End musicals; though I don’t suppose many of them would have realised that one of the star turns up there on that stage (in Gimmick) just happens to be the talented lady literally underneath a Cbeebies “friend”.

It was certainly worth schlepping up to town to see this performance, even in the pouring rain. And how lovely to have Louise Gold as one of the shinning stars at West End Live.

Critics Comments

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Links about West End Live 2015

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