Review: HALF A SIXPENCE, The Original Demo Recordings

I once had the honour of interviewing the legendary Tommy Steele at the New Wimbledon Theatre. It was the venue where Half A Sixpence was first performed, and the show - which acted as a star vehicle for the talented young performer - became a classic piece of British musical theatre.

The recent West End revival - which similarly saw its leading man Charlie Stemp elevated to stage stardom - reinvigorated the public's interest in the story of Arthur Kipps, a tale based on the novel entitled simply Kipps by H.G. Wells. The revival had been revised with a book by Julian Fellowes and music by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, and included the gorgeous new song "Pick Out a Simple Tune".

When I interviewed Drewe earlier this year, he explained: "Cameron Macintosh had been on at us to do [Half A Sixpence] for about seven years, and I'd seen productions of it and just thought, 'It's not one of my favourites'. David Heneker, who wrote the original, was so sweet to us in our early years and once we got into it, we found we loved it more and more. It was a lovely job to do and we're really proud of it."

But many of the original and much-loved tunes, including "Money to Burn" and the title track, hold their own against the new material. With the release of the original Demo Recordings by Stage Door Records, fans of the show are now able to get some context for where Half A Sixpence came from.

Tommy Steele told me that the show-stopping '10 o'clock' number "Flash Bang Wallop" had been written in the piano bar at the New Wimbledon Theatre and put in as a last-minute addition. I knew, therefore, it wouldn't appear on the original demo, although those who love the standard won't be left disappointed, as you can listen to a rousing version as a bonus track at the end of the CD.

The recordings were found in perfect condition in the garage at composer David Heneker's house and hadn't been played for 55 years. They were recorded in March 1962, exactly a year to the date prior to the show opening in the West End.

They feature 17 tracks - performed by Rita Williams, Joanna Rigby, Beverley Cross (who wrote the original book), Roy Sone and composer David Heneker, with backing provided by the Rita Williams Singers.

Although fairly uncomplicated and mostly sung with just a piano as backing, you get a sense that these songs form a linear story and there are some really standout numbers, with Rita Williams' "Long Ago" beautifully filled with emotion and Tommy Steele and Beverley Cross's "The One That Got Away" both humorous and heartfelt.

It's also really interesting to hear the songs that were eventually dropped from the musical, with "Ladies Wear", "Pure Coincidence" and "How Fashionable and Amusing" all thoroughly good tunes.

The two 1966 demo recordings ("How Fashionable and Amusing" and "I Don't Believe A Word Of It") sung by David Heneker have a more clipped and old-fashioned sound, but the fully produced bonus tracks (performed by Paul Rich and Leoni Page) with full orchestral backing bring it more up-to-date and act as a lovely way to see the development from initial demo to fully-fledged musical soundtrack.

Mega fans will also enjoy the final track, which is a recording of Beverley Cross narrating the story of the show.

Half A Sixpence, The Original Demo Recordings available from Stage Door Records

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