46
livin
S
ome things are so damn good that you
forget to give them a standing ovation.
That’s the only reason I can think of to
explain why I was still sitting when the curtain
fell on The Big Life at the Theatre Royal Stratford
East in London’s East End.
The Big Life is a brand new musical from Paul Sirett
(words) and Paul Joseph (music) featuring live ska
and calypso music from an on-stage band. After
achieving instant success with a sell-out opening
night in Spring 2004, there was already talk of when
the show might get snapped up by an impresario
and transferred to the West End. Well now it’s
happened, so remember where you heard it first,
won’t you?
But enough enthusing. You want to hear about the
plot don’t you? According to the official publicity,
The Big Life is the story of four Caribbean men –
Lennie, Dennis, Ferdy and Bernie – who come to
London in the 1950s looking for a better life. On
board the Empire Windrush, before docking in
England, they make a pact to forswear all
relationships with women for the next three years,
congratulating themselves on all the money and
heartache they are about to save. Well, you can
guess what happens to their best laid plans, can’t
you? In fact, the show is just as much about the
lives of the four women – Mary, Kathy, Zulieka and