If you follow political news from the US, you'll know that Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is generating headlines for all sorts of reasons. Closer to home, the implications of America's highest court of justice shifting to the right was also discussed in Faves founder Terri Paddock's recent post-show Q&A at UNEXPECTED JOY... as well as embracing love, and joy, in all its forms, finding common ground through musical theatre and much else...
Can musical theatre help us find common ground with those with whom we disagree? If so, Unexpected Joy is undoubtedly the musical to do it.
Set in Provincetown, Cape Cod, Unexpected Joy is the story of three generations of female singers, long-held family tensions and a week together where change is in the air. Joy, a baby boomer pop star, is visited by her daughter Rachel and granddaughter Tamara, who have come from their home in Oklahoma, to attend a commemorative concert in honour of Joy’s life partner, former singing partner and Rachel’s father, Jump, who died a year ago.
But Joy has some other news for Rachel: she’s getting married to someone else. She’s hesitant to tell her, not just because of the memory of Jump, but because the person she’s marrying is a woman, Lou, and she fears – rightly – that Rachel, a born-again Christian married to a prominent televangelist, won’t approve.
Bill Russell and Janet Hood (whose other work includes Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens) started writing Unexpected Joy long before Donald Trump‘s presidency and before same-sex marriage
All of which brings an added poignancy – and indeed urgency – to Unexpected Joy‘s message of tolerance and acceptance. For me, as someone from a family replete with evangelicals who has now found a home in the London arts community, the clash of two cultures and belief systems was totally believable and incredibly moving. I have struggled to find common ground with my Trump-supporting religious relatives.
At last week’s post-show Q&A at Southwark Playhouse, I was joined by Unexpected Joy‘s four-strong all-female cast – Janet Fullerlove, Jodie Jacobs, Melanie Marshall and newcomer Kelly Sweeney – as well as musical director Gareth Bretherton and producer Katy Lipson of Aria Entertainment. This European premiere production, directed by Amy Anders Corcoran, is the centrepiece of Aria’s sixth annual From Page to Stage festival of new musicals, running this month at Southwark Playhouse. It follows Unexpected Joy's Off-Broadway premiere earlier this year.
Inevitably, we touched on politics, and the timeliness of this musical in today’s divisive society, during the discussion, but we also talked lots about female-led companies and stories on the musical stage (big shout-outs to Six, Sylvia and Wasted), how we can all better support new work, the significance and history of Provincetown, differences in reactions from US and UK audiences, cast meals and what else brings the company joy.
Unexpected Joy runs from until 29 September 2018 at Southwark Playhouse, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD. Performances are Mondays to Saturdays at 8pm , with Saturday matinees at 3.30pm and Sunday matinees at 3pm. Tickets are priced £20 (concessions £16). CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!
