Young and foolish
From Sir Tim Rice Sir: Your promising new theatre critic, Toby Young, is showing worrying signs of a serious affliction that affects many of his kind, viz.. slagging off a lyricist by misquoting his lyrics. In his reasonably kind review of 9 February of Boy George's marvellous new show Taboo (sadly. I am not an investor), he disgracefully traduces George's most famous song. George did not write 'I'm a, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a chameleon' but 'Karma. Karma. Karma, Karma, Karma Chameleon' — a far more sophisticated concept.
This song is not an ode to solipsism as Mr Young's version implies, but, as the rest of the song makes clear, an account of a tormented relationship. It is even possible that the Karma Chameleon in question could have been Marilyn, the bloke your critic erroneously snogged in 1981. Mr Young having done such extensive research, albeit unintentionally, into the genesis of Taboo and its cast, his howler is doubly surprising.
Tim Rice
London SW13
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