- Control (Starlight Express)
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Control is a character from the rock musical Starlight Express. Although it is never stated one way or the other, it is often assumed that Control is a boy. He narrates the show, and commentates on the races. Some sources claim that he is a child of nine years, although there is nothing to confirm this in the show's libretto. He is from whichever country the show is in(though American in London as that was fashionable in the 80s - Thunderbirds is another example of an American-accented British production), who is playing with his trains at the beginning of the show. His mother comes in and tells him to put his trains away, and get into bed. He does so, and he dreams that the trains come to life. In the London re-vamp and subsequent productions Control sneaks out of bed again to continue playing. Most of his lines are repeated, his catchphrase being 'This is Control, This is Control' with which he begins all announcements. He has a simple six-note theme that plays whenever he speaks.
His favourite engine is Greaseball the Diesel. He consistently looks the other way when Greaseball cheats in the races, and is angry when the plot is wrenched from his grasp and Greaseball is defeated by unlikely challenger Rusty.
Though he calls himself Control during the show, in some productions he is listed in the playbill simply as 'The Boy.'
Contents
Control's Mom
His mother only appears in the prologue. She is a generic mother, trying to get her offspring to go to bed.
Musical numbers
Control does not mainly sing, but did at one point have a song in the London production, called "Union Square Dance". He also has a sung phrase in the Overture, an incarnation of the 'Starlight Express' song. He commentates the prologue and races, gives orders in Light at the End of the Tunnel, Pre race four, Pumping Iron, AC/DC, A (Whole) Lotta Locomotion, Freight, Taunting Rusty, and The Rap(all incarnations).
Costume
He is never seen, except in Starlight on Ice. He wore a costume very similar to Rusty's Starlight on Ice Costume. He is also briefly seen in the prologue of the 3D UK Tour on the screens.
Actors
Control
While Control is supposed to be a young boy he is usually voiced by a woman.
- Nancy Wood (Original London)
- Bela and Olivier Borchardt (Original Bochum)
- Tara Wilkinson (Revised London)
- Julius Jellinek (Bochum)
- Braden Danner (Australia and Broadway)
- Yumi Tohma (Japan)
- Lori Flynn (US and Canadian tour)
- Georgina Hagen (UK tour)
- Jo Marie Dominiak (Bochum)[1] Jo Marie won the role in a competition, beating thousands of other children to be cast.
Mom
- Melanie Vaughan (Broadway)
- Claudia Neuland (Bochum)
- Charlotte Avery (Australia)
- Kazuko Kawashima (Japan)
The roles of Control and their Mom are disembodied voices, and are pre-recorded. Recordings are only occasionally updated.
References
Categories:- Characters in plays
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