OLCMaxxing ⋆ ༘

A blog dedicated to the Original London Cast run [1984–1992] of the fastest musical in the world, Starlight Express 🫶🏼 Ran by @partygrade

[tabooi]

Stephanie Lawrence as Pearl 🩷

[olcmaxxing]

Starlight Express and AIDs awareness.

I know that April isn't AIDs awareness month, but I had the idea to make this edit in memory of those cast members that we know of who have lost their lives due to negligence and fear mongering. in a political climate like we have currently, we have to speak up on this. obvious content warning for sensitive imagery and homophobic remarks in the newspaper clippings shown.

all photos belong either to the staniforth archive, belles domain and the starlight express wiki, and the chess the musical archive.

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing is a horrifically recoloured image ‼️

of course no hate to whoever tried to restore the original photo, I just stumbled upon it and found it quite hilarious. green rusty, blue belle and yellow pearl? oh and michael jackson but he looks fine!

(in this order Ray Shell, P.P Arnold, Stephanie Lawrence and Michael Jackson as Rusty, Memphis Belle, Pearl and himself!)

[24601orwhatever]

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing is Volta ‼️

I love of how out of every component, Volta is the only one with the most consistent design for all productions. although post 2018 Bochum had her gender changed, the design still has that original Volta feeling and I love that!

(Voyd as Volta!)

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing are Electra and Bobo ‼️

todays olcmaxxing post is a little different as today (8th December) is the date that original london cast member, Tom Jobe, lost his battle to aids exactly 35 years ago. Tom was the first actor to play Bobo and I also believe both the first white and openly homosexual actor to play Electra! he was also very well known for being one of the first advocates for the aids epidemic and would help in pride marches and protests whilst he was alive.

with world aids awareness day being on the 1st and tom losing his life to such horrific disease, I would like to ask you all if you could also take the time to try and donate or even copy and paste the link to the National Aids Trust to help save the lives of men and women who are currently in the position that tom, and many other of the starlight express actors, were in.

National AIDS Trust

Here you’ll find reliable facts about HIV, including up-to-date statistics and key details about transmission, testing and treatment.

(Tom Jobe as Electra and Bobo!)

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing is Rusty ‼️

i really love Rusty, i think he's adorable.

(Ray Shell as Rusty!)

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing is Espresso ‼️

i unfortunately don't have alot to say about Espresso except I love his cute little jumpsuit thing he, and the rest of the original nationals, had to wear, I think it's so silly and goofy looking.

(Ruel George Campbell as Espresso!)

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing is the City of Milton Keynes ‼️

I absolutely adore his cute little mustache, I wish later productions had it!

(Raymond Hatfield as the City of Milton Keynes!)

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing is Greaseball ‼️

something i do love about original greaseball is his very odd looking make up, compared to the bochum style used now it seems very odd and mildly uncanny. although i do still think it is lovely don't get me wrong 🤷‍♂️

(Jeff Shankley as Greaseball!)

[olcmaxxing]

the fourth photo on your Dinah post is not Frances Ruffelle, but Beverley Kay, I think! that photo seems to be around 1985, Frances would have already finished her time at StEx and moved on to Les Mis

aaa thank you!!! I didn't even realise as i was quite tired when i got sent the photos 🥹 haha ill try not to make the mistake again!

[exdraghunt]

‘Tis the season! 

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing is Dinah ‼️

dinah was genuinely such a cutie during the original london era, I truly do miss her old design. although I'm really glad they bought back her original brown wig for bochum! not much else to say other than that she's so cute and look how many photos I have!

(Frances Ruffelle as Dinah!)

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing is Joule ‼️

out of all of the original components, my favourite for costume and wig design is 100% joule. her costume is genuinely gorgeous and the puffy wig used for the 1984 magazine is geniuenly lovely, i wished it was actually used in the show instead of the flat one we got but hey 🤷‍♂️

(Debbie Wake as Joule!)

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing is Rusty ‼️

this photo of Rusty is so full of joy and whimsy, boy why are you so blue. all lighting jokes aside its so amazing to see other actors portray rusty who were part of the first cast aswell if that makes sense. what do you mean the man who originally played purse also played both rusty and electra for a while?

(Koffi Missah as Rusty!)

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing are Memphis Belle and the Rockies ‼️

this is another photo I've never actually seen prior to looking on the wiki! it's a really cute one in my opinion just belle hanging out with the rockies. it does make me miss the original designs for the rockies, although practically the same except for the numbers on the belt, they still had a charm to them.

(in this order PP Arnold, Danny John Jules, Richard Bodkin and Attlee Baptiste as Memphis Belle, Rocky 1, Rocky 2 and Rocky 3!)

[olcmaxxing]

Today's OLCMaxxing are the girls ‼️

this photo is genuinely adorable and what I love about it is of how you can see that the costumes are so different from eachother yet have little tidbits that look similar it's so lovely!

(in this order Voyd, Nancy Wood, Carol Amphlett, Frances Ruffelle, Chrissy Wickham, Debbie Wake and P.P Arnold as Volta, Buffy, Wrench, Dinah, Ashley, Joule and Belle!)