I'm Hopeless When It Comes to You - London | Stephen Ward

'Hopeless When it Comes to You' - Joanna Riding stars as Valerie Hobson, wife of John Profumo as she contemplates their marriage.
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Stephen Ward deals with the victim of the Profumo Affair - not, as is widely supposed, John 'Jack' Profumo himself, the disgraced Minister for War, nor even the fatally wounded Conservative government of Harold Macmillan, but the society osteopath whose private libertarian experiments blew up in his own and everyone else's face.
In a trial as emblematic to the twentieth century as Oscar Wilde's was to the nineteenth - from which he was the only protagonist to emerge with some dignity and honour - Ward became the targeted scapegoat of a furiously self-righteous Establishment.
By no means a hero, he was a reluctant martyr, thanks to an unholy alliance between Press and police of a kind we can all too readily recognise today; inadvertently, he was the hinge between two worlds and the harbinger of a revolution in manners, music and morals when the ordered, stuffy, respectful universe of the fifties gave way to the classless, truculent, unstoppable sixties.
Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Christopher Hampton and Don Black, and directed by Richard Eyre, the musical centres on Stephen Ward’s involvement with the young and beautiful Christine Keeler and their chance meeting in a West End night club, which led to one of the biggest political scandals and most famous trials of the 20th century.

[@AndreyKiselev1994]

This show should have been filmed in its entirety and made publicly available.

[@Jay4Juliet]

You need to get to this show! Fantastic. A really strong narrative that is easy to follow, even if you've never heard of the John Profumo affair. The lyrics of all the songs deliver on every front: cogent, witty, frivolous, touching, forlorn, menacing, painfully moving. And as for the score, I don't want anyone to keep blarneying about 'Andrew Lloyd Webber's always the same', or 'he's too populist', or 'he's not a proper composer'. It's magnificent! He pulls out all the stops delivering the genuine article on virtually any musical genre you can think of, from reggae rock and romantic, pop to punk, jazz to latin. That only leaves the cast, and without them, nothing I've said so far would be worth a tinker's cuss. Their delivery was really strong with total commitment from everybody, but the guy who played Stephen Ward (sorry, don't have the programme with me, attended on 14th January) presented a charming, principled, kind character who mistook the licentiousness of the British upper classes for free-thinking, and was left to crash and burn on his own, bearing no grudges. Plaudits also have to go to Joana Riding who as Valerie Hobson. She has only a bijou moment with this lovely 'I'm hopeless when it comes to you' but boy, what a jewel that is. I can't sing it to myself now without crying! Hope you find this useful, and hurry up to book!

[@alandavison327]

Saw Stephen Ward just before it closed. The audience were predominantly 50+ white British - in other words people who remembered or knew about the Profumo affair. Lack of international appeal meant it closed early. Just a theory but the show itself was highly entertaining, dramatic (especially the second half) and the musical score soared . I hope it's revived in the future.

[@westgate35]

Saw this in previews, loved the show, and Joanna was perfect. She deserves a solo bow in the walk down however

[@ihussain2000]

A gorgeous song, definitely the strongest in the show. The opening line: does it remind anyone else of "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself", by Dusty Springfield?

[@bigred8432]

All his music is stolen from elsewhere. Yes this definitely sounds like the aforementioned song

[@chernjam]

After seeing this, If ALW does a revival of Sunset Boulevard I can't imagine a better Norma Desmond than Joanna Riding.

[@si29uk]

A beautiful song - delivered with poise, elegance and a great vocal. Destined to become the take-home number from the score.

[@bigred8432]

Didn’t she well hahaha

[@iandavidson6715]

This a great song, well written and beautifully performed. To me, it has always been a hit. In fact, it is one of those hidden gems that I have found only rarely. Thank you Andrew and Joanna.

[@georgiacornwell3910]

Beautiful song! And Sang so well! Breathtaking!

[@12boocat55]

oh god......uffff..........ohh how to love...being bruised, but not broken,,,:`````````// amazing song, beautifully sung.

[@Aarondefyinggravity]

I think this tune is absolutely gorgeous and Very Andrew sounding, in that woman in white/Beautiful Game/Whistle down ... Etc I don't like the repetitive perfect cadences all the time as it gives the feeling that the music doesn't really go anywhere, however just a personal preference. Sometimes the lyrics Andrew uses aren't that great next to his simplistic style, and I'm glad to see this one is really nice can't wait to go and see it !

[@MichelleKarenMannveilleJohnson]

Great Video! Shame we did not hear this song more before the opening.

[@maggiechai5073]

absolutely beautiful....and uniquely profound.

[@orchardist6559]

So beautifully performed and such an amazing voice. Thank you for a wonderful posting.

[@tomsteenson3220]

Aspects of Love overtones.

[@seanmoran602]

Beautiful

[@seanmoran602]

Amazing, what an incredible voice

[@chernjam]

Wow. I thought the song was amazing at the press event. That was incredibly moving and even more powerful onstage. What a terrific performance

[@eslermanu47]

Valerie Hobson was born in my town Larne in Northern Ireland and i pass her house everyday.

[@robedwards6096]

Should of put this song in aspects if love❤

[@amyclarke41]

Actually looks good ☺

[@AlienMidget123]

Please upload Human Sacrifice :3

[@Stephenwardthemusical]

'Hopeless When it Comes to You' from Stephen Ward - Joanna Riding stars as Valerie Hobson, wife of John Profumo as she contemplates their marriage from Andrew Lloyd Webber's new West End musical Stephen Ward

[@billypapag91]

I had the chance to see the show on 31st of December in London. I really loved in a new classic !!!! Please upload the "1963" number!! was my favourite part

[@wanghuimikeyahoocom]

I hear echoes of Love Never Dies

[@kevenzhao]

Mike Wang SO DEEP

[@uforofo]

I cannot help to think of the phrase (melody) from 1:20 to 1:29, and I would swear that I have listened to it elsewhere. Any suggestion?

[@Tiaanvanniekerk]

Sounds like a bit from "Till I hear You Sing Once More" from Love Never Dies to me...

[@LanceoftheNoe]

I SWEAR this tune was in "The Beautiful Game"!

[@GavinLiamLogan]

+Lance Noe It wasn't. Not even close. I directed "The Beautiful Game" last year and it's not. However, the bridge of this is recycled from "If Not For Me, For Her" from The Woman In White, which was cut before B'way... so maybe that's where you recognize part of it...

[@LanceoftheNoe]

+GavinLiamLogan Thanks for the correction. I knew it wasn't original to this show

[@bigred8432]

Its always ripped from Dusty Springfield

[@carinesegers3431]

Christine, can it be Christine...

[@eloisehsu0210]

They'll wonder where I am lol

[@1dartmouth]

Fabulous song - just wrapped up in a boring subject some market research would clearly indicate the lack of appetite for the book

[@valentinomiller2227]

I hear "If Not For Me, For Her" from "The Woman in White". I like this, but it does lack imagination. I love Andrew, because his songs are so singable, but they are also repetitive and recycled. Perhaps he should musically collaborate with another composer to cull a different melody from his brilliant brain.

[@misterbish1]

This was a great song one of two in this show. The rest indicates a worrying lack of talent in the Lloyd Webber score. The rest was all la la la la, a simplistic style he has adopted since Beautiful Game.

[@uforofo]

Would you clasiffy "All for Laura" as a "la la la"? Or "Till I hear you sing", as well? I think you are too unfair.

[@Snyder994]

Webber lost the imagination. Boring melodies =/