THE GRAND TOUR Finborough Theatre

Jerry Herman’s 1979 Broadway musical, which is getting a belated European premiere at Finborough Theatre, is an adaptation of S N Behrman’s watered-down version of Franz Werfel’s play, Jacobowsky and the Colonel. The story is set in World War 1. Germany is invading France. Paris is about to fall. Everybody is fleeing the Nazis, including a Jewish businessman and an anti-Semitic colonel. Herman was attracted to the subject because it showed the indomitability of the Jewish spirit. Jacobowsky is an optimist and survivor. The show begins promisingly with his song, “I’ll be Here Tomorrow”, but the book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble quickly proves to be far too superficial and silly to be involving; and with only two pianos, and no performances of any stature, the production flounders.