One-man War of The Worlds comes to Hemel's Old Town Hall (From Watford Observer)

One-man War of The Worlds comes to Hemel's Old Town Hall

4:51pm Monday 16th November 2009

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Solo shows about singular characters such as Tony Hancock, Charlie Chaplin, Francis Bacon and Adolf Hitler are stock-in-trade for Pip Utton, who largely writes, directs and stars in his own plays, but now he’s attempting Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds (WOTW) as a one-man show at The Old Town Hall in Hemel – so just how will Pip pull it off?

He’s surprisingly laid-back in response to this question. “It is a challenge but that’s something I have with all of my shows,” says Pip. “I’ve cut out the Julie Covington bit as that’s a step too far for me and the song with Phil Lynott as Parson Nathanial, The Spirit of Man, but I do all Richard Burton, David Essex and Justin Hayward’s parts.”

I’ve cut out the Julie Covington bit as that’s a step too far for me, but I do all Richard Burton, David Essex and Justin Hayward’s parts

Pip Utton

A trained gemologist, Pip made the leap across to acting after 25 years in the jewellery trade.

“It was a kind of midlife crisis, some men go chasing their secretaries, I went chasing the dream. The first show was Tony Hancock’s Last Half Hour and The Stage reviewer said I should give up the day job and be an actor, so I did, and was out of work for 12 months.”

Pip didn’t give up however and went on to pen the critically acclaimed Adolf, which won the Edinburgh Spirit Of The Fringe Award in 1997. Talking from Dublin, where he’s currently performing Adolf, Pip says he worked closely with Hertfordshire resident Jeff Wayne on adapting the WOTW script two years ago. The show premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2008.

Pip is keen to make a distinction between his own show and Jeff’s stadium epic.

“What I wouldn’t want people to do is judge one performance by the other. His is a big all-singing all-dancing arena show with mega-great effects that I couldn’t hope to rival and my show is cut down to the basics.”

So why was Pip so keen on creating his own version of Jeff’s vision?

“It was the first concept rock album and it has a place of affection in so many people’s memories. Jeff completely reworked and re-recorded the soundtrack for me using the original music, recording timing cuts and putting sound effects on such as the guns. Jeff very kindly produced that for me. One of the challenges technically is when they push go on the CD, it goes on for an hour and I have to get the words in the right place and start singing at the right time.”

Pip Utton’s one-man War of The Worlds is at The Old Town Hall, High Street, Hemel Hempstead on Friday, November 20 at 8pm. Tickets: 01442 228091 (£6-£10)

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