Despite mixed reviews, critics have praised the performance of actor Steve Vaughan, one saying that "his physicality perfectly captures Savile’s creepy decrepitude", helped by the "appallingly tacky" tracksuits and red-lensed glasses provided by costume designer Deborah Jenkins. They also admired the catchiness of the songs "Now then, now then", "Jingle jangle, jewellery jewellery" and "Come back to my dressing room after the show".
However, many also complained of the 'elephant in the room' the show glosses over - the fact that the 'much loved national treasure' turned out to be a massive pervert and serial abuser of women, children and even corpses.
'We did think about a more honest portrayal,' said producer Abe Greenbacks. 'It’s not like there’s no precedent for showing child abuse in a musical - they did it in "Tommy", after all.'
'But we just felt it limits the number of people who’d come to see the show, so I’d make less money," he concluded, before asking his PA to 'try and make that sound a bit less mercenary before you send it out.'
The show stands in a long line of sanitised accounts of appalling people, including "Bad" (about Michael Jackson), "Springtime for Hitler" and "Pol Pot on Ice".
