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Video: Jeff Wayne and Shannon Noll talk War of The Worlds
By Amira Hashish, Evening Standard 01.10.09Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of The Worlds – Alive On Stage! has just had its latest 02 visit and is now touring the country.
This year's show features the incredible 35-foot Martian Fighting Machine that fires Heat Rays at the audience while scanning them with it's bug-like-eyes, a 100-foot wide screen showing CGI animation and an 11-foot high hologram of Richard Burton performing his role as George Herbert The Journalist.
Amira Hashish caught up with Jeff Wayne and the star of this year's show, Shannon Noll. Click on the videos below to find out what they had to say.
Reader views (2)
We saw it last night at the Bournemouth Centre. Couldn't agree more with you Alex. Mr Noll strangled the words. The martian also blocked most of the screen from the sides of the auditoria. Still enjoyed it though.
- Phil Johnson, Fareham England
The music was great, but the effects very much detracted from the overall experience.
The actors over-emoting detracted.
The music has in some cases, not aged well at all either - could have been edited to be tighter, where some stanzas and choruses just repeat cheesily while I was biting my fist in my mouth.. argh!
Still, nice to be out though, and TfL did well to get everyone home - in difficult circumstances due to safety upgrades to the Jubilee line. Still not ideal though!
The "fighting machine" which tepidly leaked smoke/ steam out of its nozzle at the audience was also pretty poor..
Lets not explore the hilariously bad hologram of Richard Burton - with its scary rolling eyes and poorly synchronised mouth.. it looked like a young Elvis Presly, done in plasticine..
Please stick to what is good quality
Take a leaf out of Roger Waters or Pink Floyd for a show - from your era, and do it better -with less.
The music, well played. Great band and great orchestra. I forgot how good SOME of it is. Just.. edit it down, and PLEASE better FX!
- Alex, London
