ON THE LEVEL starred Angela Richards, Barrie Ingham, Gary Bond, Phyllida Law and more.
On The Level was the second musical penned by Ron Grainer and Ronald Millar and reunited the 'Robert and Elizabeth' creative team of Wendy Toye (producer), Malcolm Clare (choreographer), Malcolm Pride (designer) and impresario Martin Landau. Presented in conjunction with the Beatles manager Brian Epstein, 'On The Level' was the polar opposite to 'Robert and Elizabeth', firmly set in the present day with a contemporary score that reflected the modern era of swinging 60s London. The production, described by Martin Landau as an "ironic comedy", focused on the British fascination with school exams and in particular the G.C.E. Inspired by real life events, the plot centres on the theft and distribution of the G.C.E. exam papers amongst both students and their parents and the scandal that ensues.
On The Level boasted a youth driven cast that included Angela Richards, Barrie Ingham, Gary Bond, Phyllida Law and a break out role for Sheila White who reportedly stopped the show with her solo number 'Bleep Bleep'. The musical opened at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre on February 25th 1966 (after which Leslie Phillips who was cast as Clancy Pettinger left the production and was replaced by Barrie Ingham). On The Level opened to great fanfare at London's Saville Theatre on April 19th 1966. Despite much publicity, including numerous television appearances by the cast and a fashion spread in the magazine 'London Life', the production failed to find its audience and closed after 118 performances. Although Epstein had reportedly secured the film rights to On The Level, a screen adaptation failed to materialise.For more information, visit: www.stagedoorrecords.com/stage9076.html
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