The A–Z of Mrs P

The A–Z of Mrs P is a musical conceived by Neil Marcus[1][2] and written by British playwright Diane Samuels and British composer Gwyneth Herbert.[3][4] Described as "a musical fable inspired by the autobiographies of Phyllis Pearsall",[5] it tells the story of Phyllis Pearsall's creation of the London A to Z street atlas.[6] The A–Z of Mrs P was performed in workshop with actress Sophie Thompson in May 2011.[7] It opened in London at Southwark Playhouse on 21 February 2014,[8] starring Peep Show actress Isy Suttie[9][10][11] and Frances Ruffelle.

The A–Z of Mrs P
Southwark Playhouse poster by Su Blackwell
MusicGwyneth Herbert
LyricsGwyneth Herbert
BookDiane Samuels
Productions2014 Southwark Playhouse
Awards2010 Stiles and Drewe Song of the Year Award for the song "Lovely London Town"

The Southwark Playhouse production received a four-starred review in The Times. Herbert won the Stiles and Drewe Song of the Year Award with her composition "Lovely London Town",[12] one of the songs in the show.

A CD of the original London cast recording of the show was released on 24 March 2014 by SimG Productions.

Theatrical production

The A–Z of Mrs P was first performed at London's Southwark Playhouse from 21 February to 29 March 2014. It was presented by Neil Marcus with Paul Tyrer and Jamie Clark for The Booking Office and Michael Peavoy Productions and was directed by Sam Buntrock.[2] The set design was by Klara Zieglerova, the lighting design was by David Howe, the sound design was by Andrew Johnson and the costume design was by Philippa Batt. Steve Ridley was musical director[2] and the musical staging was by Nick Winston. The orchestrations were by Sarah Travis and Gwyneth Herbert.[13]

Characters and original cast

Reception

In a four-starred review, Donald Hutera of The Times described it as an "engaging new musical" and "a small-scale entertainment of some charm", with a score that is "accomplished... melodious, articulate and fun".[14] Mark Shenton, writing in The Stage, said "There’s a real heart to the production, particularly in its tender portrait of Pearsall, whom Isy Suttie invests with a stunning blend of the gauche and sincere, the knowing and the vulnerable." He added that although "Diane Samuels' book too often goes off on tangents, Herbert's score is moody and lyrically astute enough to keep the dramatic momentum on track."[15]

The A–Z of Mrs P
Studio album by
Original London Cast Recording
Released24 March 2014
GenreMusical
Length38:39
LabelSimG Productions
ProducerSimon Greiff

Original London Cast recording

The Original London Cast recording of The A–Z of Mrs P, which was produced by Simon Greiff and engineered by Kevin Poree and Danny Monk, was recorded at Southwark Playhouse on 27 and 28 February 2014.[13][16] The music was produced, mixed and mastered by Kevin Poree at Berry Street Studio in Clerkenwell, London, in March 2014 and the CD was issued on 24 March 2014 by SimG Records. It consists of 18 tracks, all written by Gwyneth Herbert and performed by members of the original London cast. On a 19th, bonus track, Gwyneth Herbert performs an additional self-penned song "Nothing Much to Say".[16]

Track listing
  • "Best Foot Forward" – Isy Suttie & Company
  • "It Depends How You Look At It" / "Painting Song" – Isy Suttie & Company
  • "Bus Song" – Isy Suttie, Ian Caddick & Company
  • "Alexander Gross" – Michael Matus & Company
  • "Lovely London Town" – Isy Suttie & Company
  • "A Girl Needs A Husband" – Isy Suttie
  • "Something Kind Of" – Michael Matus & Frances Ruffelle
  • "Indexing Lovely London Town" – Isy Suttie & Company
  • "Magic and Mystery" / "Profit and Property" – Frances Ruffelle, Isy Suttie, Michael Matus & Stuart Matthew Price
  • "Draughtsman’s Song" – Sidney Livingstone
  • "This Is Your Time" – Sidney Livingstone, Isy Suttie & Company
  • "I Am a Representative" – Isy Suttie & Company
  • "Galloping Galloping" – Frances Ruffelle
  • "The Softness Of Women" – Michael Matus
  • "Galloping Galloping" / "The Softness Of Women" (reprise) – Frances Ruffelle & Michael Matus
  • "Can You Hear Me, Mama?" – Isy Suttie & Stuart Matthew Price
  • "I’m Not A Callous Man" – Michael Matus
  • "Ship Comes In" – Isy Suttie

Bonus track:

Design and artwork

The CD design and art direction was by Simon Beechey.[17] The artwork for the theatre poster was by Su Blackwell.[18]

References
  1. Rice, Glenn (4 March 2014). "'I Fell In Love With Phyllis': Composer Gwyneth Herbert On The A-Z Of Mrs P". Interview. theatrepeople.com. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  2. Shenton, Mark (25 February 2014). "The A-Z of Mrs P". The Stage. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  3. "Mapping out new musical The A–Z of Mrs P – meet the writers". Musical Theatre Review. 21 February 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  4. Bannister, Rosie (8 November 2013). "Frances Ruffelle and Isy Suttie star in new musical at Southwark Playhouse". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  5. "The A-Z of Mrs P". Archives. Southwark Playhouse. 2014. Archived from the original on 11 May 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  6. Suttie, Isy (5 February 2014). "Isy Suttie: Phyllis Pearsall, the A–Z mapper who was right up my street". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  7. "Gwyneth Herbert". Sidney Brown Memorial Award. 2012. Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  8. "The A-Z of Mrs P – new British musical opens in February 2014". Musical Theatre Review. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  9. Pritchard, Claudia (9 February 2014). "Charting a course in song: The musical dedicated to the humble A to Z". The Independent on Sunday. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  10. Dex, Robert (8 November 2013). "Peep Show star Isy Suttie hits the street for new musical". The Independent. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  11. Jury, Louise (11 December 2013). "Peep Show geek Isy Suttie's musical move in London A-Z show". Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  12. "Sunday in the West End with Sondheim Student Competition Set for Garrick Theatre, 18 May". BroadwayWorld. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  13. Antill, Jenny (16 March 2014). "BWW Reviews: THE A–Z OF MRS P Original London Cast Recording". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  14. Hutera, Donald (26 February 2014). "The A-Z of Mrs P at Southwark Playhouse, SE1". The Times. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  15. Shenton, Mark (25 February 2014). "The A-Z of Mrs P review". The Stage. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  16. "The A–Z of Mrs P Original London Cast Recording". Records. SimG Productions. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  17. Album sleeve notes
  18. Blackwell, Su (21 December 2013). "The A-Z of Mrs P". Su Blackwell. Retrieved 6 September 2014.

Further reading
  • Hartley, Sarah (2001): Mrs P's Journey: The Remarkable Story of the Woman Who Created the A–Z Map. London: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781471142055
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