The consistently reliable Rose and Crown in Walthamstow works its magic again, turning its attention to a little-known Cole Porter show and covering it with almost enough glitter and glitz to hide the cracks in the book.
Out of this World opened on Broadway in 1950 and was one of Porter’s last shows written for the stage. The source material – the Greek myth of Amphitryon as dramatised by Plautus – was given a modern-day reinterpretation by Dwight Taylor and Reginald Lawrence. Porter provided the music and lyrics, and while the songs were much enjoyed at the time (although none becoming a hit) it was the book – seen as too vulgar and rambling – that brought the show to an early close after just 157 performances.