Follies

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Follies: A West End Tapestry of Memory

"Follies" premiered in London’s West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre on July 21, 1987, delivering Stephen Sondheim’s intricate musical with a book by James Goldman. Running for 644 performances until February 4, 1989, it introduced British audiences to a tale of aging showgirls and their husbands reuniting at a crumbling theater in 1971, shadowed by their younger selves. Directed by Mike Ockrent, this reimagined version won three Oliviers, including Best Musical Revival. Returning triumphantly to the National Theatre’s Olivier stage from February 12 to May 11, 2019, under Dominic Cooke’s direction for 102 performances, "Follies" blended glamour, disillusionment, and Sondheim’s lush score featuring "Losing My Mind" and "I’m Still Here" cementing its status as a West End masterpiece of theatrical reflection.

Origins and Creative Vision

The musical’s roots trace to a 1965 Goldman one-act play, expanded with Sondheim into a Broadway debut at the Winter Garden Theatre on April 4, 1971, running 522 performances with Alexis Smith and Dorothy Collins. Inspired by a New York Times photo of Gloria Swanson amid theater ruins, it melded Ziegfeld Follies nostalgia with marital decay. Harold Prince and Michael Bennett’s original vision ghostly showgirls haunting the present lost $800,000 despite 12 Tony nominations, winning seven. The 1987 West End version, revised by Goldman with a happier ending and new songs like "Country House," softened its bite for London, produced by Cameron Mackintosh. The 2019 revival restored the darker Broadway tone, earning 10 Olivier nods and Best Musical Revival.

The West End Journey

The 1987 Shaftesbury run starred Julia McKenzie as Sally, Diana Rigg as Phyllis, Daniel Massey as Ben, and Dolores Gray as Carlotta, with David Healy as Buddy. Its 644-show tenure drew over 500,000 attendees, lauded for Bob Avian’s choreography and Maria Björnson’s lavish decay. The 2019 National Theatre revival featured Joanna Riding as Sally, Janie Dee as Phyllis, Alexander Hanson as Ben, and Tracie Bennett as Carlotta, following a 2017 premiere there that ran 92 performances. Closing May 11, 2019, after 102 shows, it played to sold-out crowds, with Vicki Mortimer’s crumbling set and Paule Constable’s lighting amplifying its elegiac pull. Both runs showcased "Follies" as a West End gem, balancing spectacle and sorrow.

Musical and Theatrical Brilliance

Sondheim’s score dazzles with "Broadway Baby," Hattie’s gritty anthem, and "Too Many Mornings," Ben and Sally’s aching duet. "Could I Leave You?" stings with Phyllis’ fury, while "In Buddy’s Eyes" and "Losing My Mind" bare Sally’s fragile heart McKenzie and Riding’s renditions unforgettable. "I’m Still Here," Gray and Bennett’s showstoppers, became anthems of survival. The 1987 cast recording and 2019 live album capture these highs, with Jonathan Tunick’s orchestrations lush in ’87, raw in ’19 mirroring the show’s dual timelines. Pastiche numbers like "Beautiful Girls" and "Loveland" evoke Follies glamour, while Cooke’s 2019 staging, with Irene Warren’s choreography, turned ghosts into a palpable chorus of lost youth.

Revivals and Global Echoes

Beyond its West End triumphs, "Follies" saw a 2001 Broadway revival with Blythe Danner, a 2011 Kennedy Center-to-Broadway run with Bernadette Peters, and concert stagings like 1985’s Lincoln Center with Barbara Cook. London hosted a 2002 Royal Festival Hall concert with Rigg and a 2006 Palladium semi-staging with Imelda Staunton. The 2017-2019 National Theatre production, filmed for NT Live, reached cinemas globally, while international runs from Paris to Melbourne spread its bittersweet songbook. A 2023 UK tour loomed, but the West End’s 746 total performances across ’87 and ’19 remain its UK pinnacle, a testament to its enduring draw.

Legacy and Cultural Resonance

"Follies" redefined West End musicals with its 1987 debut and 2019 encore, its 644 and 102 runs totaling over 600,000 attendees and three Oliviers. Outpacing peers in emotional depth, it grossed millions, its tale of aging dreams mirroring post-Vietnam disillusionment and later #MeToo reckonings. Critics raved Variety dubbed it “Sondheim’s richest” while its influence shaped introspective works like "Company." McKenzie’s Sally and Dee’s Phyllis became icons, their songs cabaret staples. As of March 2025, "Follies" endures through recordings, NT Live, and sporadic stagings a West End monument to glamour’s fade and the ghosts we can’t outrun.