The Bedknobs and Broomsticks musical has officially launched in theatres across the pond. News about the adaptation of Walt Disney’s 1971 story regarding an apprentice witch fighting Nazis was slim over here in the States. Today we were able to get a better look at the production thanks to new photos.
What’s On Stage posted some publicity photos from the production, and it looks amazing. The reviews, however, are not so hot. The Guardian had the following to say, “With so little plot, Bedknobs and Broomsticks needs set pieces that dazzle and the big sequences here – the paean to fakery, Portobello Road; the dancing nightgowns; the climactic battle with a bodiless army – require sharper delivery.”
The costumes, specifically Miss Eglantine Price’s, are far more theatrical than those found in the 1971 film. This is to be expected, of course. Had I not known this was from Bedknobs and Broomsticks, I’d have mistaken it for a new Harry Potter stage show. That’s not a negative take by any means. The outfit is quite lovely and makes sense that a witch-in-training would want to look a little … different.
The show itself, based on these new images, appears to match the film’s darker atmosphere. The movie wasn’t exactly full of sunny vistas, to be fair. Only a small portion of the film was shot outside of the Burbank studios and surrounding Califonia coast. This may have contributed to the dreariness of the sets not taking place in Miss Price’s home.
However, the shot we see below of Portobello Road gives the scene more life. Personally, that’s one of my favorite scenes and songs from the movie and to see it expanded on here with such cool looking costumes is a treat.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks is already making its way across the UK and Ireland. However, we’re unsure if the musical will be making its way to the United States. When that news breaks, we’ll post here on PnP.
What are your thoughts on an Angela Lansbury film being made into a musical? Can the theatre capture the uniqueness of the film with puppetry and costumes? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: What’s On Stage]
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