Glorious! The story of the true meaning of art and the power of people

Closing the Loft Theatre 2024 season is the 3 act poignant comedy ‘Glorious’. Based on a true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a woman who has passion and love for days but talent far from perfect. 

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Sets in 1940s New York the auditorium transforms the moment we step into the door with war time music, projections of a newspaper with back and white videos on the curtains with a transition into Madams apartment.​

Rayner Wilson brings Madam Florence to life from the get go as she meets Cosme (Luca Catena) a talented pianist who believes his next opportunity is right here but after he sits at the piano for the first time and we all hear Madam sing for the first time. We all - including Cosme - realise that this is most likely his biggest challenge yet and his face with captions gives his true fears away.

The entrance of St Clair (Jeremy Heynes) and Dorothy (Rebecca Clarke) with dog Ricky really prove that with the right people surrounding you, they will lift you up no matter what and while this takes a while for Cosme to process, he is let in with open arms.​

The comedic timing and chaos of Becky Young as Maria screaming Mexican that no one on stage could understand was hilarious along with the direction of the classic language barrier comedy

While the majority of the first act is getting to know the characters in their daily life preparing for a recital Madam has in a few weeks, she goes to a recording studio to record a cover to sell during her gigs. But when a slight tragedy strikes, she realises she can sing higher than she ever realised. We think this may be the thing that puts her back in tune but it is just as tragic as before with laughs bouncing through the auditorium and poor Cosme on the piano trying to survive. Wilson being able to sing so out of tune is very hard so props to her throughout the entire show​

Act 1 runs for about 50 minutes with a 20 minute interval before Act 2

Act 2 focuses on the recital itself where we see Florences major entrance in her elaborate costume. When her first song ends we go into the interlude where she goes through the cards that she was given by everyone in her interviewed audience she revealed and it is entertaining to see the very opinions of her singing. During this, we see the entrance of Mrs Verrinder Gedge (Lucinda Tooney) through the auditorium who has formed a petition of 37 music lovers to get her off the stage and attempt to stop her from performing. Dorothy and St Clair are devastated, but it is Cosme who is at her side during all of this and we see the true bond Madam and him begin to form. After Gedge is successful whisked away by St Clair we see Madam and Cosme truly grow closer as she wonders why he hasn’t brought a lady to which he almost laughs (the queer undertones of this character throughout the show say otherwise).​

Dorothy comes rushing in after a heartfelt moment between Madame and Sinclair and reveals that there was a telegram for Florence from Carnegie Hall saying that they want her to perform to everyone’s dream come true. but when tragedy strikes towards the end of act two, we are wondering if this will ever happen.

Act two times around 35 minutes and there was a 5 minutes break between Act 2 and 3​

Act 3 focuses on the performance at Carnegie Hall and the true risks that the family take to get themselves there. It revealed through a radio announcement that despite their worries, all 3000 tickets sold out and we see one final performance from Madam in another of her elaborate costumes. We see the slight improvements she has made over the last hour and a half and true connection she has with Cosme as a grandson or a son of her own.

After the concert, Cosme has a very poignant monologue telling the ending of her story and the passion she really had for singing and we are all a little bit emotional by the end of it 

Act 3 is extremely short timing at 25 minutes but it really packs a punch

Overall, the show really gives the true meaning of art, the drive one can have for their talent and how all you really need is a good support system and the right words to bring you to where you want to be.​

Glorious at the Loft Theatre Company plays until the 7th of December and tickets are still on sale on their website and at the link below
Loft Theatre