Stage musicals should embrace use of surtitles, says lyricist Tim Rice The songwriter, who has reunited with Andrew Lloyd Webber for a Christmas mystery, said popularity of TV subtitles may have a welcome effect in theatres.
Surtitles should be routinely used for stage musicals as audiences are often unable to fully appreciate the lyrics, the leading songwriter Sir Tim Rice has said.
“It’s very frustrating at times, especially if you’re the words man,” said Rice, 80, whose hits with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber include Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Last year, the US star Patti LuPone – who played Evita in the musical’s original Broadway production – said that many lyrics go misheard due to a lack of technical training and overbearing sound mixes.
Rice said that he and Lloyd Webber were “hired hands” on Sherlock Holmes and the Twelve Days of Christmas, created by Humphrey Ker and David Reed from the comedy troupe The Penny Dreadfuls.
