IN CONVERSATION WITH... JEFF SHANKLEY

Photo courtesy of Maldon Photography

Jeff Shankley is now something of a musical theatre legend, having created the parts of Munkustrap in the original 1981 cast of Cats,  Greaseball in Starlight Express and Lord Melchisedic in Dave Clark’s Time The Musical to name but three.  Here Jeff kindly gave up a little of his time to share with us some memories of working for Andrew Lloyd Webber in two of his legendary shows.

You were a member of the original 1981 cast of Cats, how did that come about for you?

I was playing Frank N. Furter in Cameron Mackintosh's production of The Rocky Horror Show in Berlin when I got the call to audition for Cats in London when I returned. I remember sitting waiting to sing and hearing all these ballads one after another.  So I thought "Hell, I’ll sing 'Sweet Transvestite'” so I did. Trevor said he felt he'd seen the whole show and asked me why we'd never met. And then he said if Cats didn’t work out he'd take me into the Royal Shakespeare Company.  I floated out of the audition because this was a lifelong ambition, but Cats did work out and the future was rather mapped out for the near future. I did play at the RSC years later so I was delighted. 

 Jeff as Frank N Furter 1980

Two weeks into rehearsal I busted my cartilage and was carted off to hospital where Judi Dench was recovering from a ripped Achilles tendon. She was playing Grizabella and I was playing Munkustrap. I thought that was it, but got a huge bowl of fruit, flowers and a message from Trevor Nunn and Andrew Lloyd Webber saying ‘You’re the one we want. Be there for the opening night!’, which I was. Sadly Judi was not, and very courageously withdrew.  What a performance that would have been; she was mesmeric. Fortunately for us Elaine Page stepped in with only four days to go and took the top of the theatre off with her rendition of ‘Memory’. She was stunning and such a talent. 

I recovered well but on the opening night I was still not able to bend my leg properly so the long leg so associated with the Munkustrap's stance was created. More from necessity than design! Even when I healed they kept it in and it sort of became iconic! Cats was a dangerous set to work on. Each performance was trial and error. As I slid off the car boot one night to take Grizabella up to the 'Heaviside layer', I ripped my costume on a jagged piece of metal. The entire company closed around me so the audience didn’t see this large expanse of white buttock! The next year I impaled myself on an iron gate, chasing Macavity, and put thirty-eight stitches in one leg and six in the other. Cameron carried me off shouting ‘I’ve always wanted to do this!’

 

 I was beginning to think John Napier had it in for me, especially when the iron bridge in Starlight Express (now named The Jeff Shankley Memorial Bridge by the wonderful Ray Shell) nearly blinded me and knocked my front teeth out because it was brought in too soon.

All in all Cats was a wonderful experience to be part of. I believe I was the only person to play Munkustrap in Act 1, Gus and Growltiger in Act 2, and then return as Munkustrap for the Macavity fight. I did it for six months and was exhausted, but they were shaping the franchise before it went global.

Before we went into the studio to record the album, Andrew took me aside and said: ‘”I have so much music to put on a double album and I may not have room for ‘The Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles’. It is thirteen pages long, the longest number in the show, so I’m asking if I can take it out?  But I know this is your first West End recording and if you stamp your foot and have a tantrum I’ll keep it in.”  Of course I didn’t. I was recording my own musical for BBC radio called Rockoco, sung by the legendary Colm Wilkinson, and if I’d needed to take something out I’d have hoped they would have understood. During the next few weeks, Andrew called me back often to re-record a lot of other music he wasn’t happy with. I think it was his way of saying thank you for not making a fuss. Never make a fuss.

Did you learn to skate specifically for the show and were you involved in the original Starlight workshops?

In the part of London I grew up in there was little entertainment for us as kids, but in the next town was a very large skating rink. So I spent most weekends there with friends skating and playing roller hockey. I'm sure there were many who could have played the role of Greaseball, but they were looking for someone who could act, sing, dance AND roller-skate. So lucky for me it removed a lot of the opposition.

I auditioned for the workshop of Starlight, and I remember a huge space in Leicester square, with Trevor Nunn, Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Napier, Arlene Phillips and the casting team all sitting at a huge long table. I skated round in a wide circle and as I gathered speed approaching the table I shouted ‘Forward somersault coming up!’ They lifted out of their seats and as I sailed past I said ’I’ll save that for the opening night’. Trevor told me later it was game set and match, because it was exactly the quality for Greaseball they were looking for; ‘I could do it if I wanted to. But I can’t be bothered’.

There were many in the workshop and the original company who had never really performed before and each time someone fell over they laughed at them. One morning I said to them that if someone falls over, it means that they're pushing their ability. They are skating outside their comfort zone and that should be applauded, so that’s what we did. Every time someone fell over we stopped the rehearsal, applauded them, and the morale and confidence soared! 

Can you remember your first impressions of the Starlight set, and what were the biggest problems skating on it?  Was the costume restrictive?  Did you have any accidents whilst performing the show? 

The day we arrived at the Apollo theatre and saw the set for the first time, I have to say many of the company were in tears. It was quite intimidating, as all of John Napier’s sets are. Trevor sent me off around the tracks to identify any danger areas; what needed extra barriers, more padding etc. Coming into what we called the 'wall of death' took a bit of getting used to. Some people disappeared off the front of the stage and down onto the concrete stairs below. More barriers arrived and the helmets arrived the day after the bridge knocked my teeth out. It was the most amazing creation.

The Perspex was a bit slippery to skate on, but it was solved by spraying the stage with Coca-Cola before each performance. The costumes were a bit restrictive but it’s always trial and error when you're trying something new, and John was always understanding of any problems we had. I never felt that the skate boots I had made a very good finish line for the choreography, so I had a skate put onto a Lonsdale boxing boot, which worked really well. It gave it more flexibility and they were lighter. 

The critics at the time were a little unkind despite audience reaction being ecstatic,  do you think Starlight was a little ahead of its time? 

I think Starlight was ahead of its time. We felt we were pushing the boundaries of theatre back and possibly introducing a new kind of audience. It was obviously successful, in spite of the critic’s response, thanks to an amazing creative and production team and cast.

What are your favourite songs in the show? Did you have a favourite among the other characters / performers?

I think the song that really touched me most was 'I Am The Starlight’. The musical build up and the combination of Lon Satton and Ray Shell’s voices was so inspiring. I looked forward to it every night. Andrew’s music has a way of reaching inside you and ripping your heart out. 

 Cliff Richard and Jeff Shankley in Time The Musical

Lord Melchisedic in Time The Musical

It was difficult to leave but the offer of Lord Melchisedic in Time The Musical  was just too good to turn down, with another stunning John Napier set. He told me once that when you have an unlimited budget you can go crazy, but if someone says you have £2000, it has to be made of plastic and ready next month, then something magical happens; I suppose we all need limits, but I’m not sure I’ve found mine yet.

Of all the musicals you have done,  have you got a favourite?

I think if I had one part I enjoyed above all others, it would have to be George in Spend Spend Spend at the Piccadilly Theatre. It was a terrific part and working with Barbara Dickson and Rachel Lescovac is an experience I will never forget. They are two amazing talents and two beautiful people. 

 Jeff (far left) and Barbara Dickson (centre) in Spend Spend Spend

To have been chosen to work in an Andrew Lloyd Webber show three times and to be directed by Trevor Nunn three times is an honour I will always cherish.

 Jeff, thanks very much for taking the time to talk with me.

Jeff Shankley as Greaseball (left) Ray Shell as Rusty (middle) Jeffrey Daniel as Electa (right)

Jeff also featured on the 20th anniversary recording of Jesus Christ Superstar