The War of the Worlds
22nd June 2009
Yes, they’re at it again, those pesky Martians. As if it wasn’t enough back in 1978, when Jeff Wayne released the epic ‘Musical Version of The War of the Worlds’, and the Martians caught a cold on Primrose Hill and had their eyes pecked out by hungry crows, they’ve decided to have another go at our fragile planet and are currently to be seen trying it on in arenas around the UK.The touring production of the album is as grand a concept as the original record, featuring a 10 piece band, 36 piece string orchestra, 5 singers, a flying bridge, 80’ wide video screen, 9 trucks, 44 crew and a 10m high Martian fighting machine with pneumatic legs.
As for me, I’ve been attempting to convey the honeyed tones of Richard Burton to thousands of people along with the huge sound of the band and orchestra and surround sound effects – with a reasonable level of success I feel.
Arena acoustics don’t always lend themselves to intelligibility, and the devotees of the original work are very quick to criticize if they miss a single syllable of the iconic script, but it’s a privilege to be able to have the voice of Burton under my fingers, and every show is a unique challenge.
Long may it continue, just as long as the chances of anything coming from Mars really are a million to one.