Aren’t we all due a bit of magic in our lives? Dianne Pilkington who plays Miss Eglantine Price in the stage adaptation of Bedknobs and Broomsticks certainly thinks so.
“The show is fun, it is full of magic and it takes you on a different journey from the adventure we’ve been on for the last year and a half. It is what the world needs right now,” said Dianne.
Set in the darkest days of the second world war, Bedknobs and Broomsticks arrives at His Majesty’s Theatre on Wednesday November 17.
It tells the story of three Rawlins children who have been evacuated from London to the Dorset town of Pepperinge Eye where they are put in the care of Miss Price. She turns out to be an apprentice witch who is learning witchcraft through a correspondence school and hopes to use her spells to help the British war effort during the Blitz.
Fitting time for Bedknobs and Broomsticks tour
Since the coronavirus pandemic has been described as the biggest crisis we had to face since the Second World War, the Wigan-born actress thinks that using fantasy to bring respite from trauma is very timely.
She said: “It turned out to be the right time for the show to come out. I’m sure Bedknobs and Broomsticks would be magical whenever but globally we had such a tough year.
“So from that perspective, it is wonderful to do a show which provides people with hope and light-hearted entertainment along with a strong message of family and working together. It’s almost like it was written for post-pandemic audiences.”
Delighted to be performing live and making Eglantine Price character her own
And Dianne is absolutely thrilled to be performing in front of live audiences again.
She said: “It’s my first theatre job back. It’s amazing – that’s just what we (actors) do. I’ve been lucky that during the pandemic I was able to do some filming and voiceover work, but the stuff that we do – interacting with live audiences – that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 25 years, so it’s really amazing (to be back).”
With this production being the first-ever stage adaptation of the 1971 Disney favourite, Dianne had the exciting job of making the role her own while paying homage to Angela Lansbury who brought Miss Eglantine Price to life on film.
“It’s a tough one because the role was originally played on film by Angela Lansbury who is fairly iconic,” said Dianne, laughing. “I’m a huge fan of hers – and was way before this role.”
And the actress even has some Angela Lansbury merchandise to prove this.
“One of the first masks I bought at the beginning of the pandemic was Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote,” she said.
“The rest of the cast think it’s hilarious but I didn’t buy it for this – it’s just mine!
“We’ve had lots of chats when we were rehearsing (about the character) and stage shows are never the same as films – they can’t be due to the nature of the genre.
“We had a little look at it and obviously, we pay homage to Angela in many different ways but I tried not to recreate what she does because she is extremely recognisable and amazing, but we are very different.
“I watched the film and then let it go.”
We should all be more like Eglantine
The main thing Dianne admires about her character is that she doesn’t care what anybody thinks of her, which she believes was quite unique for a film released in the 70s.
“It’s such a refreshing take – especially for a movie and a book of that time,” said Dianne.
“Usually women were very much trying to fit into a model created for them by the society.
“But she was different, she lived on her own and was completely self-efficient. She was very strong and eccentric – but sometimes “eccentric” people are just people who don’t live within the norm.
“We should all take a leaf out of her book and be who we want to be and be proud.”
Wonderful costumes and stage set
Eglantine doesn’t just stand out from the crown because she is an apprentice witch.
“They also made her very stylish,” said Dianne, “the wig is beautiful and the costumes are just gorgeous.”
And it’s not just Dianne’s character that has wonderful costumes.
“Oh my gosh, wow, the ‘Under The Sea’ costumes – the design is made to make people look like water and weed and waves,” said Dianne.
“There’s a lot of puppetry in the show and the attention to detail is just incredible. I think the ensemble costumes are the most incredible.”
Making sure not only the costumes but also the stage set is magical was co-director Jamie Harrison – the man who created stunning stage illusions in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and once had to perform a magic trick for JK Rowling herself.
Jamie said: “What I learnt was that magic really works if it’s part of the personality of the character who is performing it.
“That’s something we’re working with in Bedknobs and Broomsticks. We wanted it to feel charming with a sense of childhood imagination, but at the same time be allowed to take flight.”
Score made up of songs by Sherman brothers as well as new tunes
And Bedknobs and Broomsticks wouldn’t be complete without songs by the Sherman Brothers who also wrote film scores for Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
As well as the original score, the show features songs by the American songwriting duo that were dropped from the film, plus new material by Neil Bartram who worked closely with Brian Hill – who wrote the musical – on the stage adaptation.
Dianne said: “Substitutiary Locomotion is one of the best numbers I’ve ever sung. I get so excited, I actually do believe I’m magic and casting a spell. When you’re in the middle of that on stage it’s fabulous.
“And we also have some wonderful new songs too. They (Neil Bartram and Brian Hill) are just brilliant. The way they work together…they came up with something that is seamless. If you didn’t know which songs were in the film and which songs were written for the show, you wouldn’t know. They’re pure Sherman Brothers.
“There are quite a few new songs because you need more songs for a stage musical.”
Fans of the film receptive of new ending
And new songs aren’t the only thing different about the stage adaptation. Without giving too much away, Dianne said there was a “huge discussion” about the ending of the show among the fans of the film.
She said: “Some fans of the film initially were like ‘Oh no, you can’t do that’ but then they see how it works. You have to adapt some things for the stage. Some people absolutely love it. It’s always going to be jarring when some things change, but I think fans of the film were very receptive of it.”
How to book tickets
Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be at His Majesty’s Theatre from Wednesday November 17 to Sunday November 21. Tickets can be purchased here.
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