Check in, and check out Adelphi musical

Jun 18 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

Horse rides through the mezzanine at the Adelphi Hotel _320

FINAL preparations are under way for what could be a unique musical. Once Upon a Time at the Adelphi opens at the Playhouse Theatre on June 28 and this week the cast – rehearsing in two groups, one here and one in London – came together for the first time.

Writer and director Phil Willmott said: “I fell in love with the hotel when I first started directing plays in Liverpool about seven years ago.

“I don’t like modern, clinical hotels. At the Adelphi, you always have an experience and it’s never a bore.

“I was here last year directing Much Ado About Nothing, and I knew I wanted to write about the Adelphi, and I asked for people to send me their memories.

“It became apparent that it is so important to Liverpool families. So many people met there, had their wedding, their children’s christening, their 18th birthday and retirement do – whole family histories spent in this hotel.

“I thought, ‘what do I like?’ I like romance and mysteries, so started to consider a story based on that, with a human story at centre stage.

“I have heard all sorts of urban myths and legends about the Adelphi – some are true and some aren’t. Roy Rogers stayed here with his horse, Trigger, and there’s that great myth that Adolf Hitler worked in the kitchens when he was a young man, so I’ve tried to tie all those in.”

The lovers are receptionist Alice, played by West End talent Julie Atherton, and Thompson, played by Simon Bailey, of pop opera band Teatro.

The ensemble is made up of eight students from Lipa.

“We wanted to create a big new musical for Liverpool and, because of the nature of the piece, it is almost like a celebration of the hotel’s status in the 1930s,” Mr Willmott added. “The cast is a mix of very talented people based locally and some fantastic lead actors from the West End.

“I really hope people will like it, and if they don’t I have really tried hard – there’s so many strands to this show I have had to be strict and not worry about what people might think.

“I didn’t want to write an arty piece but a big, populist accessible story.”

vickyanderson@dailypost.co.uk