PICK A POCKET OR TWO By Ethan Mordden

Published by OUP

Subtitled “a history of musical theatre”, Ethan Mordden’s book does what it says on the tin, starting with The Beggar’s Opera and ending with the likes of Six and the reworking of Half a Sixpence by Styles and Drew with book by Julian Fellowes. Along the way we take in Gilbert and Sullivan, Charleston, Noel Coward, Sandy Wilson and Julian Slade. It’s more or less chronological in decades.

And what we really learn

– and are led to recognise – is the subtle way in which musical theatre has evolved over 300 years with each new trend building on, or reacting to, what went before and/or to the political or economic environment.

It’s both detailed and entertaining. I like the idea that (in a single pair of chords in Iolanthe) “…Sullivan pulled Gilbert out of burlesque and extravaganza into music theatre of emotional power”. And the question “Could we consider Lionel Bart as a kind of holy fool, one without education who is nonetheless ennobled by rare gifts?”

is a good starting point for discussion.

I find Mordden’s writing accessible, informative and his subject matter pretty far reaching. I had never, for example, heard of The Lily White Boys (1960) or Love From Judy (1952) so there’s lots to learn here.

Ethan Mordden, who lives in Manhattan, is a recognised expert on American musical theatre with a number of books to his name including friendly introductions to opera and film. Pick a Pocket or Two, already published in USA, is new in the UK this autumn.