Starlight Express Overview (1984)

London 1984 Production

The Starlight Express is a rock musical which follows the story of a nine year old’s dream, in which his toy trains come to life. The engines race their way through three heats and two finals, singing songs about steam, diesel, electric, and much more.

Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the show is well known for being performed on roller skates, it was one of the longest running shows in the West End and is probably Germany’s favourite musical. A large amount of people were involved in bringing the show to life, including; lyricist Richard Stilgoe, director Trevor Nunn, choreographer Arlene Phillips, musical directors David Caddick and Paul Bogaev, and many more.

Rusty is the protagonist of Starlight Express, a small steam train who wants nothing more than to not only take part in the race, but also win it.

Pearl is an observation car and one of the four coaches, she catches Rusty's eye and eventually falls in love with him herself.

Greaseball is a diesel engine who thinks highly of himself and is the favourite for winning the race.

Electra is an electric train who is also a likely winner, and is said to be 'the engine of the future'.

Poppa is an old steam train and Rusty's father. He was one of the best racers in his youth.

Dinah is Pearl's best friend, Greaseball's girlfreind, and one of the coaches. She is the dining car.

Act I

The voice of Control playing with his toy trains opens the show, Overture beginning as he drifts to sleep.

Greaseball and his gang of diesel engines come on stage singing Rolling Stock, saying how great they are and how no one could beat Greseball in the race.

Rusty comes on stage and the diesels exit, leaving him to sing Call Me Rusty to the coaches as he dreams of winning the big race.

Rusty goes off and the coaches introduce themselves with A Lotta Locomotion.

Greaseball returns and sings Pumping Iron, another brag about how amazing him and the diesels are.

Rusty is sent off to collect the Freight train for all the racers to choose their partners for the race. He returns with them singing Freight, introducing themselves.

Electra and his crew appear and sing AC/DC which has a weird electronic sense, showing the stark difference between this new modern train and the others.

The racers then choose their partners, Pearl being asked to join Electra to Rusty's disappointment. Not knowing who to race with, Pearl sings He'll Whistle at Me to Rusty, telling him that he isn't enough for her. She then goes off to race with Electra.

Race: Heat One begins, and Greaseball, coupled with Dinah, cheats to ensure his place as winner. Dinah becomes upset with Greaseball and tells him that 'that was unfair', to which Greaseball replies by dumping Dinah.

Seeing Dinah upset, C.B. comes over and sings There's Me, telling her that she isn't by all by herself.

Poppa comes onstage with Poppa's Blues, introducing himself with a song that reflects his personality. Then, Belle introduces herself with Belle the Sleeping Car.

Poppa then suggests that Rusty races with Belle now that Pearl has run off. They sing Starlight Express Introduction, in which Rusty begins to believe in the Starlight Express (the equivalent of God).

Then Race: Heat Two begins, in which Electra and Pearl win, and Rusty and Belle are eliminated.

Rusty is crushed by first loosing Pearl and then Heat Two, and seeks some comfort in Poppa, who decides that he himself will race with Boy, Boy, Boy.

Then comes Race: Heat Three which sees Poppa win. Poppa says he's too old now and retires, having proved to Rusty that steam power is not outdated yet. He then nominates Rusty to take his place and finish the race for him.

The rest of the trains, including Pearl, tease Rusty who is then determined to beat them. They think he has no hope and sing Laughing Stock.

Rusty is left alone onstage and wraps up the first half with Starlight Express, expressing his fears, but beginning to believe.

Act II

Act II begins with The Rap, where everyone is arguing whether or not Rusty should be allowed to race in Poppa's place seeing as he was disqualified in Heat Two. Finally it is said that he should be able to race with C.B. as his partner.

Greaseball suggests to Pearl that she should race with him, so she ditches Electra and, despite Dinah's anguish, races with her best friend's boyfriend, stating that it's 'only fun'. Dinah then goes off to sing U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D. to Ashley, Buffy, and Belle, telling them how she'd been dumped for Pearl, and how she'd never take him back.

The girls then sing Rolling Stock (Reprise) to Dinah, convincing her to win back Greaseball's heart. Electra, who now needs a partner, invites Dinah to come with him, and in the name of making Greaseball jealous, she accepts.

A plot twist comes with C.B. singing his self-titled song C.B. to Electra, showing his evil side and his plans to wreck Rusty so that Electra wins.

C.B. holds Rusty back in Race: Uphill Final, causing him to come in last, with Greaseball and Electra having drawn. Pearl finds out what has happened and threatens to tell, but Greaseball says that then she'll be disqualified, so she keeps it to herself.

Before Rusty is consumed in misery, the Rockies come and tell him in Right Place, Right Time, that it's not about talent, it's luck. and if you're unlucky then you won't win.

Again, Rusty sings to the Starlight Express, and in I Am The Starlight, the Starlight Express appears and says that Rusty can win, if he believes in himself and in the Starlight Express. Rusty then finds Dustin who agrees to race with him.

Meanwhile, Dinah decides that she has had enough of racing without the attention she craves from the engines, for none whistle at her. She sings He Whistled at Me (Reprise) and leaves Electra who promptly invites C.B. to go with him.

 Rusty, Greaseball, and Electra race against each other (with Dustin, Pearl, and C.B. respectively) in Race: Downhill Final. Whilst Greaseball and Electra are distracted by fighting, Rusty sneaks into the lead. Greaseball uncouples Pearl, almost killing her, and speeds into first place as Rusty slows to rescue Pearl. Greaseball then attempts to steal C.B. from Electra, as he won't win by crossing the finish line without a partner. As they bicker, Rusty zooms ahead, leaving the others to go off course and crash into a tunnel. He finishes first, and is given the title of champion.

Electra trundles on complaining about how it wasn't fair in No Comeback, then vanishes for the remainder of the show.

The battered up Greaseball and C.B. appear and sing One Rock & Roll Too Many, and all the others enjoy a good long laugh it them. Then Poppa shows up searching for Rusty, ordering Greaseball to take him to Pearl, for that is the most likely place to find Rusty.

Pearl, who has gone to a secluded spot, sings Only He (Has The Power to Move Me), realising it has always been Rusty there for her and who she should've chased, and that maybe she has missed her only chance with him.

Rusty finds her, and blinded by his love he forgives her instantly, together singing Only You.

The rest of the cast turn up, commenting on how beautiful romance is, and Greaseball realises what a fool he'd been, and apologises profusely to Dinah who can't resist and takes him back. Greaseball is then told by Poppa that he could be a steam train too, and Control instructs the trains to listen to him.

The show closes after Poppa and Belle lead the cast in a final song; Light at the End of the Tunnel.