comedy feature

Putting the power (ballads) back into the A-Team

In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. Now their story comes to the Edinburgh Fringe, in the form of ‘A Team: The Musical’. ThreeWeeks are big fans of vans and big-ass explosions, so we caught up with producer, director and ‘Hannibal’ Gareth Kane to ask a few questions about the whys and hows.

TW: How did the idea for A-Team The Musical come about?

GK: I religiously watched the A-Team as a child. Like most of my generation, however, I never grew out of it; whilst everyone else was getting box-sets of ‘The Wire’ and ‘The Sopranos’, I was still into BA and the gang. Having done a lot of improv at the festival with The Reduced Edinburgh Fringe Impro Show, where everything that is created on the spot is gone once the show ends, I wanted to write something that could be developed and worked on. They say write about what you know about, and I thought that the A Team storylines - which were nearly the same every week - really lent themselves to simple musical stories. And how could I resist writing a song called ‘Quit Yo Jibber Jabber’!


TW: Are they original songs? Does that famous theme tune rear its head at all?

GK: They are all original songs. I wrote the lyrics and Jethro Linley composed the music. We do perform a disco number to the theme tune, though.


TW: Were you all big fans of the show growing up?

GK: Everyone in the cast is a huge fan. And whilst everyone else is drinking and partying most nights of the Festival, we soldiers of fortune sit at home watching the A Team, to see how they manage to get BA on an aircraft.


TW: How do you manage to pull off the A-Team on stage - what with all the vans and helicopters and explosions of the TV show?

GK: You’ll have to come and see. But I promise we have helicopters, explosions and the van!


TW: Does Mister T know about the musical? What does he think?

GK: I don’t know if he knows about us. I would love to know what he thinks. T is all corporate now though; our BA Baracus don’t sell no chocolatey nutty treats!


TW: How does Hannibal cope with the smoking ban?

GK: Hannibal doesn’t adhere to such rules. However, he hasn’t managed to light up yet because just as he’s about to, he has to deal with some no good dirt-balls, or help build an impregnable vehicle.


TW: Do you love it when a plan comes together?

GK: I love it so much, I wrote a song about it.


A-Team – The Musical, Gilded Balloon Teviot, 5 – 31 Aug (not 18), 5.30pm (6.30pm), prices vary, fpp26.

published: Aug-2009

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