The News got to meet the director behind a new musical ‘Berlusconi’ – based on the Italian politician and media mogul- while the actors rehearse, before opening at Southwark Playhouse’s brand new theatre in Elephant at the end of the month.
Theatre director James Grieve started life living on the edge and seems to have tried to live his life that way ever since. And by ‘on the edge’, I mean being born in Folkestone on the Kent coast rather than anything riskier, but James, in his university years and without any prior training, decided, with friends, to set up a company to produce and direct plays. Now, that is a recklessness found mainly in the young but actually set Mr Grieve on a course to be where he is today, writes Michael Holland…
I asked James when he first realised he wanted to become involved with the theatre, and he told this tale of horror:
“My grandmother was an actress and one of my earliest memories is seeing her play the wicked witch in the local pantomime. When the wicked witch died I was inconsolable so my Mum had to take me backstage to find my gran miraculously resurrected in her dressing room. From that moment I knew theatre was magic.” An incident that could put most children off theatre forever.
After his formative years spent in a dream world of being either a footballer or fronting an indie band James came to the realisation that he ‘probably wasn’t the new Eric Cantona or Liam Gallagher’. Instead, with his mates, he started a theatre company.
This is how he tells it: “I figured going on tour with a theatre company was probably the next best thing to my fantasy careers.
“Like most directors, I started out as an actor but I soon found myself losing concentration on stage because I was looking around thinking about all the things I would do differently if I was in charge.
“Most directors are control freaks…” He adds with no nuance.
For five years the company were “producing and directing plays on a shoestring in fringe theatres and at The Edinburgh Festival. We had no idea what we were doing so we made it up as we went along and learned by making mistakes.”
Learning on the job gave James enough experience and knowledge to be noticed because it led to him becoming ‘assistant director to Josie Rourke and the late, great Howard Davies which was incredible on-the-job training’.
James now understood directing plays was an actual job you could do to make a living.
James Grieve now lives in Bermondsey and has his production of Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical currently on a UK Tour.
“It lands at New Wimbledon Theatre in May,” he wants me to add.
And he has a new musical Berlusconi in rehearsals, which he was keen to talk about: “I met the writers Ricky Simmonds and Simon Vaughan almost four years ago when they approached me with a first draft and some demos.
“I was intrigued by Silvio Berlusconi as a subject for a musical and as soon as I heard the music I was hooked… What is so brilliantly accomplished in Ricky and Simon’s writing is that the serious message of this musical is delivered with such incredible wit and charm and so many laughs.
“It adds up to a prescient, utterly compelling, wildly entertaining new musical.
“It is a very special privilege to make a World Premiere of a new show and I am beyond excited to share it with audiences.”
The press release blurb says: “A hilarious, naughty, noisy expose of the original perma-tanned media mogul and populist politician told through the eyes of the formidable women ready to share their side of the story and break the veneer of that million lira smile. As Silvio tries to enshrine his legacy by writing the opera of his life, his detractors are closing in…’ Which all sounds like a lot of fun.
James was pleased to report that rehearsals are going well and that “I am fortunate to be working with a company of astonishingly talented actors who are bringing the material thrillingly to life.”
We had come to the end of our time together as rehearsals resumed, so I gave James the last word: “I’m hugely excited our show opens at the beautiful new Southwark Playhouse Elephant.
“It’s a fantastic space, a properly thrilling new addition to the London theatre scene and a major asset to Southwark.
“We are very lucky in this borough to have another wonderful new theatre on our doorsteps.”
I left with one of the show tunes ringing in my ears and am already looking forward to hearing it again at the new theatre.
Berlusconi A New Musical is at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, The Main House, 80 Newington Butts, Dante Place, London, SE11 4FL from 25 March – 29 April.
Times: 7.45pm, matinees 2.30pm. Admission: £7.50 – £28.
Booking: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/berlusconi/
Southwark Playhouse Elephant opens with revival of Enda Walsh’s ‘The Walworth Farce’
