Riding high on bewitching show

Friedman, Riding and Arnaz fall for McShane's bedside manner

By BBC News Online's Rebecca Thomas

Hot new West End musical The Witches of Eastwick thrives on a heady cocktail of sexual energy and magic.

But as one of its "nymphomaniac" stars, Joanna Riding would appear to have been oddly miscast.

Fresh-faced, diminutive and softly spoken off stage, Riding is unrecognisable as the woman who becomes rampant glamour-puss Jane in the show.

He looks so Machiavellian, dirty, lascivious with cheeky, naughty eyes

Joanna Riding on Ian McShane

"I guess I just scrub-up well," offers Riding by way of explanation of how she bagged the part in Sir Cameron Mackintosh's latest production.

"If Cameron hadn't seen me in other parts, he wouldn't have guessed that my face completely transforms itself under stage make-up.

"Somehow it moulds itself into the character so that even people who have been following my career for years still don't recognise me when I come out as 'me' from the stage door."

As one of the West End's biggest producers, Sir Cameron knew Riding's previous work in shows such as Carousel and A Little Night Music.

Riding: "My face transforms itself under stage make-up"

But it was in her role as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls that she exhibited the skills necessary to play the part of Jane.

First, she had to look radically different from her stage character. Then, in the course of the show, Sarah changes from being demure to open and laid back.

So it is too for Jane in The Witches of Eastwick.

Vamp

Based on the comic novel by John Updike, it tells the story of three single women, Jane, Sukie and Alex, who are going mad with boredom in small town America.

In an attempt to spice up their lives, they innocently conjure up the erotic devil Darryl Van Horne who, with his sexual magnetism, transforms their lives and helps them fulfil their potential.

Jane is not backward in coming forward and is very sharp but, when it comes to men, she is totally at sea

Joanna Riding

Riding's character Jane positively explodes from being excruciatingly uptight to completely wild.

"My part is great," she enthuses, smacking her lips.

"Jane is not backward in coming forward and is very sharp but, when it comes to men, she is totally at sea.

"But her blossoming is fabulous because she transforms from this prude to this glorious, sexually rampant vamp.

"She becomes a nymphomaniac and her look goes completely wild."

Many people will be familiar with the tale, if not from Updike's book then curtesy of the 1987 film starring Cher, Michelle Pfieffer, Susan Sarandon and Jack Nicholson.

The witches conjure up the perfect man

Riding, who takes Sarandon's cello teacher character, is confident fans of the film will not be disappointed by the show. But, at the same time, she says, they will also find it very different.

"The film is bonkers - all screwball comedy in the first half but like some weird horror story in the second," she explains.

"But with this show we have stayed truly in the wacky mode."

Everything about the production has been designed to inform the audience of the show's humorous yet sensual and magical tone.

Colours, costumes, lighting, orchestration and choreography are exaggerated, primary and camp.

The highlight of the show, where the three witches rise from the stage and fly into the audience, is also a surprise departure from the movie script.

Riding's character is liberated from her straight-laced ways

"It's great to do and the audience reaction has been effusive too," says Riding.

"But we witches have to wear a leather and metal harness under our costumes which is hugely heavy and tends to cut off the blood."

Another big difference is that former Lovejoy star Ian McShane has taken the role of Darryl Van Horne, memorably played by Jack Nicholson in the film.

Refreshing

McShane has not appeared on the West End stage for 30 years and this is his first singing role.

But, says Riding, she and her co-witches - played by Maria Friedman and Lucie Arnaz -were convinced of his suitability even before rehearsals began.

"We'd never met him before but when he walked through the door we all looked at him just thought: 'Oh, yes, he's the one'.

"He looks so Machiavellian, dirty, lascivious with cheeky, naughty eyes - he really looks like a little devil," she laughs.

McShane: "looks so Machiavellian"

Riding's enthusiasm for the show is not unexpected. But reviews have also been good.

It's a refreshing change since in recent months other big - and exuberantly-hyped - West End musicals, such as Notre Dame and Lautrec, have met with derision from critics.

A light-hearted show like the Abba-based Mamma Mia!, on the other hand, has been generally considered a big success.

Riding's theory is that while the flamboyant, historical pieces are worthy and ambitious they are missing the point of musical theatre.

"There is an audience out there who just want to have a giggle. Mamma Mia! came along and did not pretend to be about anything other than having a good time and people went for that.

"This is what we want to do. Give people a piece of righteous entertainment and a chance to forget about their troubles for three hours."