The Hunting of the Snark
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The Hunting of the Snark: A West End Voyage
"The Hunting of the Snark" opened at London’s Prince Edward Theatre on October 24, 1991, a bold musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s 1876 nonsense poem, crafted by composer Mike Batt. Following concert iterations and a shelved 1986 concept album, this £2 million production ran for just seven weeks, closing December 14 after 60 performances. Directed by Batt, with choreography by Nichola Trehern, it featured groundbreaking visuals 12,000 slides projected via 152 computer-linked projectors praised by critics like Sheridan Morley as revolutionary. Despite its brief run, the show’s ambition and Philip Quast’s acclaimed Bellman left a mark on West End history.
A Quest for the Elusive Snark
The story follows a quirky crew the Bellman, Baker, Butcher, Beaver, and more sailing to hunt the mythical Snark, a creature undefined yet coveted by each. Led by the Bellman, they navigate absurd challenges, from the Baker’s fear of a Boojum a Snark variant that makes one “softly and suddenly vanish away” to tangled relationships and existential musings. The journey peaks with the Baker’s vanishing, leaving the crew to ponder their quest’s meaning. Batt’s adaptation keeps Carroll’s whimsy, adding theatrical flair to the poem’s surreal logic.
A Cast of Notable Talents
Philip Quast shone as the Bellman, his commanding presence earning rave reviews and cementing his reputation pre-"Les Misérables." David Firth played Lewis Carroll and ensemble roles, while Billy Burke and David McCallum brought dance and gravitas. John Partridge, later known for "EastEnders," added youthful energy. The cast’s vocal and physical versatility animated Batt’s vision, with Quast’s leadership a standout amid the show’s chaotic charm, though some felt the ensemble struggled to unify the sprawling narrative.
A Score of Eclectic Sounds
Mike Batt’s music mixed orchestral grandeur with pop flair, drawing from his 1986 album featuring Roger Daltrey, Art Garfunkel, and John Gielgud. Songs like “Children of the Sky” and “The Bellman’s Speech” set the tone, while “As Long as the Moon Can Shine” offered lyrical depth. Critics found the score uneven praised for ambition but deemed unmemorable by some, like *The Independent*’s Paul Taylor. Still, its fusion with the pioneering visuals created a sensory spectacle, echoing Batt’s earlier “Zero Zero” experiments.
A Global and Theatrical Legacy
Before the West End, the show evolved through a 1984 Barbican concert, a 1987 Royal Albert Hall staging filmed with Billy Connolly and Justin Hayward and 1990 Australian productions in Melbourne and Sydney with stars like Jon English. Post-1991, it saw a 1995 Sheffield amateur run and a 2010 DVD release of the 1987 concert. A family-friendly version hit the Vaudeville Theatre in 2017, distinct from Batt’s work. Though short-lived in London, its visual innovation and cult status endure, with Batt lamenting the lack of a proper West End recording.
A Theatrical Experiment’s Echo
Landing in the West End’s early ‘90s boom, "The Hunting of the Snark" stood out amid glitzier hits like "Cats." The Prince Edward Theatre’s immersive staging turned Carroll’s poem into a visual odyssey, though critics split on its merits *The Guardian* admired its “gallant eccentricity,” while others panned the score’s staying power. Batt’s high-tech gamble didn’t sustain a long run, yet its blend of nonsense, music, and spectacle remains a quirky footnote in London theatre, hinting at what might have been with broader embrace.