Someone like You
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Unveiling "Someone Like You" on the West End
"Someone Like You" is a musical that premiered on London’s West End at the Strand Theatre (now Novello Theatre) on March 22, 1990, running for just over a month until April 25, 1990. With music by Petula Clark, lyrics by Dee Shipman, and a book by Robin Midgley and Fay Weldon, it originated as a concept by Clark and Ferdie Pacheco, set in post-Civil War West Virginia. Directed by Midgley, the production starred Clark as Jane McKay, alongside Dave Willetts as Major John Wesley Beaumont, Clive Carter as Kane Beaumont, and Lewis Rae as Andy. Despite Clark’s star power and musical contributions, financial troubles under producer Harold Fielding led to an abrupt closure, cutting short its potential after a promising UK tour.
A Tale of Love and Reconstruction
Set in 1865 West Virginia, the story follows Jane McKay, a compassionate nurse tending to morphine-addicted Confederate soldiers returning from war. She falls for Major John Wesley Beaumont, a wounded veteran, but their romance is tested by carpetbaggers exploiting the South’s chaos and by John’s brother Kane, a volatile figure with his own agenda. Originally titled Amen, the plot aimed to explore the dark struggles of Reconstruction, including addiction and societal upheaval. Rewrites by Weldon shifted it toward a lighter, convoluted narrative Jane’s love triangle and a blackmail scheme diluting its initial depth but retaining a mix of romance, comedy, and melodrama that leaned hard on Clark’s charm.
A Star-Driven Creation
Petula Clark, a 1960s pop icon, poured her talents into composing the score and shaping the story, collaborating with Pacheco over years to craft a serious drama. Shipman’s lyrics complemented Clark’s melodies, while Midgley and Weldon’s book aimed to balance the tone. Midgley directed with an eye for theatricality, fresh from the show’s October 1989 premiere at Cambridge Arts Theatre and a UK tour ending December 9. The West End cast leaned on Clark’s stage presence, with Willetts (The Phantom of the Opera) and Carter adding vocal heft. Fielding’s lavish production values grand sets, period costumes aimed high, but his bankruptcy derailed it, leaving the show’s ambition unfulfilled.
A Fleeting West End Run
After a warm reception in Cambridge where the Cambridge Evening News praised Clark’s “wonders on stage” and a successful tour, "Someone Like You" arrived at the Strand Theatre with high hopes. Critics were split: many lauded Clark’s performance and songs like the title track, but found Weldon’s revised book muddled and lacking the passion of its origins. The run, planned as Fielding’s next big hit, collapsed when his assets were seized amid financial ruin, ending after roughly 34 performances. It was a stark contrast to the producer’s earlier successes, a victim of timing and mismanagement rather than outright rejection.
Melodies of Resilience
Clark’s score shines with emotional range: “Someone Like You” is a tender ballad of longing, “Reconstruction” evokes the South’s turmoil, and “West Virginia” paints a folksy backdrop. Songs like “Amen” nod to the original vision of war’s toll, while lighter numbers “Tell Me It’s Not True” add levity. Performed with a full orchestra, the music carried Clark’s signature warmth, though no official West End recording exists. Critics singled out her compositions as a highlight, a silver lining in a production that stumbled narratively but soared musically, offering a glimpse of what might have been with sturdier backing.
A Lost Southern Legacy
"Someone Like You" never reached Broadway or saw major revivals, its West End stint a brief footnote in Clark’s career. Its closure tied to Fielding’s collapse his other show, Ziegfeld, shuttered the same year marked a turbulent end to an era of big-budget musicals. The concept’s evolution from dark drama to hybrid farce left it a curious relic, overshadowed by flashier contemporaries. Yet its provincial success and Clark’s involvement keep it alive in theatre lore, a “what if” for fans of her multifaceted talent and for a story that aimed to sing the South’s scars.
Why "Someone Like You" Lingers
This musical lingers as a testament to Petula Clark’s versatility a pop star who dared to compose and lead a West End show. Its short 1990 run at the Strand Theatre was a fleeting chance to see her blend of grit and grace, set against a Reconstruction canvas that promised more than it delivered. For London audiences, it offered a quirky detour romance with a Southern twang, undone by fate and finance. Though it didn’t endure, its heart beats in Clark’s melodies, a reminder of theatre’s risks and the resilience of those who take them.