A musician has suggested the failure of his musical was due to Brexit as audiences now “have a narrower outlook” and “lack curiosity”.
Rufus Wainwright was forced to close his show, Opening Night, two months early amid reports that audience members walked out during the performance and the interval.
Wainwright – who wrote the music and lyrics for the show – claims European audiences welcomed the adaptation of a 1977 John Cassavetes film, while the British turned their back on the project because it was “too European”.
The musical, about an actor – played by Sheridan Smith – struggling to cope, opened in March at the Gielgud theatre.
However a month later announced it would be closing.
“I do feel that, since Brexit, England has entered into a darker corridor where it is a little more narrow in its outlook,” he told the Guardian.
“The vitriol because we put ‘English rose Sheridan Smith’ through this ordeal of European theatre felt a little bit suspect to me.
“There’s a lack of imagination and curiosity about change. All of the reviews from Europe were incredible for this piece; the staging and the rhythm is more European and there was a vitriolic reaction against that.”
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He added: “I don’t think it was perfect and that I don’t deserve criticism, but this thing of shutting it down if it’s not exactly what you want is not really the theatrical lane that I want to live in.”
The show shares the story of Myrtle, played by Smith, as her life falls apart during previews for a Broadway play.
During the musical, Smith plays a scene where she staggers outside the theatre while being filmed and projected back on to the stage.
Wainwright said the experimental elements of the show were too much for conservative audiences.
Rufus Wainwright was forced to close his show, Opening Night, two months early amid reports that audience members walked out during the performance and the interval
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During an interview, Smith spoke about the show’s closure: “I feel bad for the team and all the work they put in, but I’m at the age now where I want to be challenged.
“I want to do new things; I don’t want to do that same old boring stuff.
“I would do it again in a heartbeat, so I have no regrets.”
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
