London Calling with Champagne Charlie: 'A Sentimental Journey'.

Each and every year there’s a new theatrical diva…an ‘it’ girl who steals the limelight and hits the stage. Recently Madonna did it and the critics passed….

Other times it’s the latest ‘Idol’ winner treading the boards to varying degrees of success.

But one icon that still hold sway on the UK theatre public is an artist who along with Betty Davis, Joan Crawford formed her own ‘template’ for star attitude – for better or worse.’

No, Julie Andrews is not back.

But Doris Day is, at least in spirit with 'A Sentimental Journey'.

The play with music is the story of Doris Day, one of the most prolific actresses of the 1950s and 1960s. A vivacious blonde with a wholesome image, able to sing, dance, play comedy and dramatic roles, she became one of the biggest box-office stars in the world. But behind the screen, there was a story that rivaled any script Hollywood could ever dream up.

At thirteen, a car accident threatened to end her dancing career. By seventeen, she was married to a psychopathic bully. When her third husband died, a man she had been married to for seventeen years, she discovered he had left her with a debt of half a million dollars.
The show's musical numbers include ‘The Deadwood Stage', ‘Secret Love', ‘Little Girl Blue', ‘Day By Day', ‘Que Sera Sera', ‘It's Magic', ‘Young At Heart'.

Its star and director is Sally Hughes (Doris Day) and I could up with her and Emmy inning writer / director Alvin Rakoff last week deep in rehearsals with an opening looming large before them
Sally Hughes has been the Artistic Director of The Mill at Sonning since 1984. Her extensive stage career includes the musicals ‘Dames At Sea' and ‘Too Marvelous for Words'.

 

Alvin Rakoff has directed a dozen feature films and over 100 TV films. He has twice won Emmy Awards for ‘A Voyage Round My Father' and ‘Call Me Daddy'. His latest novel ‘Baldwin Street' has recently been published in the US.

 

Champagne Charlie: What made you want to play the role

 

Sally: The play was my idea and I commissioned it. I’ve I always loved her singing and used to watch her films on Saturday afternoon television when I was younger. I wouldn’t say that I was ever a “fan” but I admire her greatly. She conveys the emotion in her songs. You feel that she is singing just for you.

 

Champagne Charlie: What do you identify in the character as a trait you understand or can relate to?
Sally: First of all her relationship with her son Terry Melcher. Having brought up my only son on my own. Secondly I always see the positive side of things as she does and I am a fighter.
Champagne Charlie: As artistic director yourself and lead in the cast - how do you balance the two?

 

Sally: I wake up at 5.30 am. Hit the office by 8.30 and finish my work as AD by the time rehearsals start at 10.30. I have planned well ahead and make sure that I stay healthy and not too many late nights at the theatre. I am also paranoid about catching a cold because of all the singing. So I constantly wash my hands and use my own Tea mug in rehearsal. I sound more like Howard Hughes! But it seems to have worked so far.

 

Champagne Charlie: Why has Doris Day and her tragic story exerted such a strong pull on the public and she remained an icon for many?

 

Sally: I don’t think that her story is tragic. She has suffered as most people do and is still an inspirational survivor. I guess that because her image was so perfect it is a shock to discover that she is really like all of us.

 

Champagne Charlie: What if you had the chance to cast yourself in anything playing on Broadway or the West End now would you want to be and why?

 

Sally:I can only think of Doris Day.

 

Champagne Charlie: You are use to being organised but what are the moments when things have gone wrong for you on stage and how have you over come it?

 

Sally:I love the challenge of being so involved in one’s character that when things go wrong you are free enough to deal with them but in character and not as Sally.

 

Champagne Charlie: What is different about the festival to others and why has it lasted?

 

Sally: The Mill at Sonning is not a festival it is open all year. We are a commercial theatre and also a dinner theatre….which is very unusual in Britain. We are now in our 27^th year and I guess that it has been so successful because we offer a high standard of theatre in beautiful surroundings and with lovely home cooked food.

 

Champagne Charlie: Next steps - what do you plan on doing after this show and / or are you working on at the moment?

 

Sally: I will be planning next year’s season at The Mill and hoping that A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY transfers All the while her director was getting things in order but between routines I managed to get a couple moments with him:

Champagne Charlie: As the director, how did you 1st come across the show and why were you attracted to it?

Alvin: I was given he script to read and it revealed a new dimension about Doris Day that I knew nothing about.

Champagne Charlie: Are you a fan?

Alvin: No – not until I read the script

Champagne Charlie: Why has she remained so popular over the years?

Alvin: Because she reflects the wholesomeness and happiness that we all strive to achieve.

Champagne Charlie: What for you is the highlight of the show?

Alvin: The Deadwood Stage – recreating those plus horses in a theatre not much larger than my living room is a real challenge

Champagne Charlie: How did the play come about and you get to direct it?

Alvin: Sally Hughes sent me the script.  I accepted!

Champagne Charlie: Theatre vs. TV - which works best for you?

Alvin: Depends on the script!

Champagne Charlie: Theatrical trends - we have seen the emergence of the 'rock musical', the verbatim theatre - what current trends do you as emerging?

Alvin: Simpler theatre.

Champagne Charlie: How long was the rehearsal period?

Alvin: About 3 weeks

Champagne Charlie: How do you deal with actors who misinterpret or simply ignored directions?

Alvin: Most actors don’t ignore directions – they welcome it.  However I had a grave digger who used a child’s spade to make Hamlet laugh.  So one night I appeared as Hamlet.  He never did it again.

Champagne Charlie: Next steps after this show?

Alvin: First a holiday.  Then I am working on a film project with the young writer of A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY!  Doris Day would love it.  It’s about a cat!

 

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