Glorious!
Touring Production • Various dates/locations from March to June 2026
When I photographed and interviewed theatre director Kirk Jameson back at the tail end of 2024 for an ‘In Conversation’ feature in Jack The Lad Issue 40, there was already a rumour that his next project was going to be a 20th anniversary revival of Peter Quilter’s play Glorious!. The inspiring true story of the world’s worst singer, Florence Foster Jenkins had come to the wider public’s attention through Stephen Frears 2016 film adaptation, starring Meryl Streep as the New York heiress with dreams of becoming a renowned opera singer. Inspired by Peter Quilter’s original play that first appeared in 2005, the film went on to enjoy international success and an Academy Award Nomination. Fast forward twenty years and this current stage production, touring the UK until June, sees Jameson return to the directors chair once again following his previous successful run with the show at the Hope Mill Theatre in February 2025.
It’s a rarity that I come to a play in full possesion of the story about to unfold on stage, but having already been a fan of the film I was excited to find the story of Florence Foster Jenkins’s delusional belief in her own exceptionally limited talent returning to the stage. Despite a strong supporting cast of Sioned Jones as Dorothy (having originally understudied for Maureen Lipman in the title role during a previous run at the Duchess Theatre) and Caroline Gruber as Maria (Jenkins somewhat anarchic Italian housekeeper), what unfolds is essentially a two hander between Florence (Wendi Peters reprising her role from last years Hope Mill Theatre production) and her beleaguered accompanist Cosmé McMoon (Matthew James Morrison taking over from Charlie Hiscock for this current tour). With Foster Jenkins partner St Clair now jettisoned from the original script, this slimed down approach soon proves to be this particular productions first masterstroke, allowing for the touching relationship between Jenkins and her increasingly protective pianist to be brought into sharper focus. That being said, Caroline Gruber as Maria is pure ‘value added’, and comes close to stealing any scene she appears in, much like the butler Merriman did in the recent production of The Importance of Being Earnest, (see review) there being something about these quirky, seemingly insignificant characters that manage to bring so much to the party. “I’m sure she’s Italian just to annoy me”, Jenkins comments as she struggles to either understand or get understood by here hapless maid.
Naturally, for those in the audience more familiar with the film than the stage play, Meryl Streep’s interpretation of the character was always going to loom large in the auditorium, but Peters shines in the role, and all comparisons are quickly forgotten. There were, however, definite echoes of the great Patricia Routledge in Wendi Peters portrayal, (thankfully more reminiscent of the exquisite Victoria Wood creation ‘Kitty’ rather than the infinitely more irritating ‘Hyacinth Bouquet’), but any similarity is far from being the defining take-away from this comedic tour-de-force as Peters more than makes the role her own, not only excelling in portraying her characters delusional belief that hers is a talent to be reckoned with, but also in performing songs that hilariously highlight Foster Jenkins many musical shortcomings. The decision to allow a number of these songs to be performed in their entirety is the second masterstroke of this production. Whilst it might have been tempting to curtail these musical interludes, the truth is that the comedy is actually enhanced by their duration, with Peters skilfully adept at hitting all the right ‘wrong’ notes, the grating off-key renditions just getting funnier the longer they are allowed to continue. It’s the vocal equivalent of what comedian Les Dawson used to do on the piano, (trust me kids, it was hilarious), but much like Les’s real life piano dexterity, one suspects that Peters is also in possession of a fine voice in reality, usually a requisite in order to deconstruct the vocals in such a measured, and toe-curling way. “I have taught music”, Florence proclaims. “Who to… the deaf?”, comes the swift reply.
It’s would be easy to get completely consumed in Peters performance were it not for Matthew James Morrison own beautifully measured performance as Cosmé, his nervous energy for the critiscms he is likely to receive during his employers recitals being only marginally placated by the paycheque his employer is able to offer him for his services. Throughout the course of the play however, we discover his stance slowly shifting into one of admiration for someone so unabashed at living their dream in the face of such widespread critriscm from her increasingly large, but rather less than convinced audiences. One suspects Cosmé is yet to find the confidence to present his own more authentic self to the wider world… there being subtle undertones that allude to a private life that could not so easily be lead in 1944.
With the comedic one-liners coming thick and fast, and the visual comedy being played on a scale perfectly befitting such a larger than life character, Glorious entertains from start to finish, Kirk Jamesons solid direction ensuring that despite her shortcomings the audience remain on Foster Jenkins side throughout, and far from seeing her as a dellusional wealthy widow, we are in fact hoping that the illusion of her success remains intact long enough to protect her from the harsher response to her recitals that she has remarkably so far remained blissfully unaware of. Ultimately a very entertaining, feel-good comedy, Glorious is likely to leave the audience wanting to replicate even a small portion of Florence Foster Jenkins own incredible joie de vivre.
★ ★ ★ ★
Glorious! is on national tour until June 2026. Find dates here
review: Simon J. Webb
photographs: Chris Davis