In the Family
23rd October 23As a child, in the same way some are repelled by clowns, I had a horror of musicals. In adulthood I still preferred the action between the songs to the moment when characters I trusted suddenly took the disbelief I had suspended and bursting into song and dancing about, shredded it.
In May came the chance, via Wag Entertainment, to reassess my prejudice, with an invitation to make a Christmas film for BBC 2 about the Sound of Music. The story of the Von Trapp family and their unlikely escape from some comic-book Nazis, was What Julie Andrews Did Next after Mary Poppins, and about as fact-based. What made it a monster box office hit was the sweetness of the six Von Trapp children. Also some memorable music. That’s what made it the favourite film of the six Kanneh-Mason children, classical musicians all. Spending a gorgeous week in Salzburg with them, their parents and DoP Andrew Muggleton made me a believer. I’ve always said a tune isn’t a tune unless you can whistle it. Don’t know how to do that? Just put your lips together and blow.
