Thursday 21 November 2019
&Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre | Review
&Juliet
Shaftesbury Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 20th November 2019
★★★
What if Juliet didn't die? And what if the story of reclaiming her life was told through the music of Max Martin, aka the writer and producer of some of the most iconic pop music of the last two decades. Well that's &Juliet, a wild, sparkling, energetic piece of musical theatre which has burst onto the scene at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
When the cast come in with 'Larger Than Life' and 'I Want It That Way', there's certainly a moment of unsettled bafflement, but soon the numbers become part of the story and you forget Shakespeare wasn't really bopping along to 90s pop songs whilst writing his iconic tragedies. That being said, there are times where the songs feel added in for the sake of being added and don't flow particularly well but most of the time it doesn't matter because they are performed with a vigour that engages.
David West Read's book is smartly self-aware and knows exactly when to hold back and acknowledge the pop-culture craziness that's occurring. The meta-theatrical plot works well, with us first meeting William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway as they bicker about the ending of Will's latest play, Romeo and Juliet. Anne persuades her husband to let her do a rewrite and from here we are taken to Verona where Juliet begins her journey of self discovery and goes on an adventure to Paris with her besties. Full of puns, panto lines and pageantry, the show does teeter on the edge of being too childish at times but David's book and Max's songs marry up well with Luke Sheppard's direction to create a musical which doesn't take itself or its content too seriously.
As the leading lady Miriam-Teak Lee brings sass in spades. Her vocals are mostly strong and she really does embody the confidence that this reimagined Juliet is full of; but whether due to the lack of character writing or limited acting in the pop-concert atmosphere, Juliet is just a bit distant. I personally didn't warm to her as a character and whilst I appreciate all this modern lady stands for, there is a distinct lack of sincerity in how she's written. However, this is not so true when Juliet and her best friend May are together. It's in these brief moments that compassion flies and we see a more realistic character in front of us. Arun Blair-Mangat is sweet and enticing as May, who discovers love and friendship.
Oliver Tompsett is the boy-band Shakespeare of dreams, who hilariously bigs himself up and brings an instant charm to the stage. As his steely, compassionate and fizzy wife, Cassidy Janson gives a fantastic performance. Her stage presence is magnetic and I found myself wanting a spin-off purely focussed on (the only) Anne Hathaway. Jordan Luke Gage is suitably self-absorbed from the moment of his bombastic entrance and gives a great vocal performance as Romeo.
The ensemble of players are top notch, adding interest and motion throughout. Jocasta Almgill gives a stand out performance and Lady Capulet, with Dillon Scott-Lewis, Grace Mouat and Antoine Murray-Straughan really shining from the ensemble.
The whole show is exemplary of production value and there's no denying that the energy on stage could power all the theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue. Bill Sherman's lighting is concert goals; Soutra Gilmour's set is a dreamland and Andrzej Goulding's projections bring each scene to life creatively and effectively. The female empowerment, LGBT representation and romantic moments are all enjoyable and important to be seen on stage, but a significant lack of character development means you feel little empathy for the characters and at the end just don't really care.
This is definitely a show which will be enjoyed after a prosecco or two and it doesn't try to be anything else than a fun night out. If you want theatrical integrity and a moving storyline then this isn't for you, but if you want an explicitly queer, feminist musical that's funny, entertaining and scored by songs that you grew up listening then go see it. If music be the food of love, &Juliet provides a feast that will satisfy anyone looking for a bit of fun.
Wednesday 13 November 2019
Mary Poppins, Prince Edward Theatre | Review
Mary Poppins
Prince Edward Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 5th November 2019 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★
Since she landed umbrella in hand, the mystical nanny Mary Poppins has been a much loved character. From the hit Disney film to a number of revivals and performances around the world, there's something universally adored about the feel-good story of the Banks family, so it's no surprise that the musical is once again gracing the West End. It's a musical full of sparkle, magic and wow factors but at times feels as though it's on just for the sake of being on.
In this musical, co-created by Cameron Mackintosh, with additional songs by Stiles and Drewe and a book by Julian Fellowes, the moral aspect of the story is strongly highlighted, as are the darker sides of the original book. The story of Mr Banks' redemption and the importance of making the correct moral choices for those around you remains ever relevant but much of the secondary plot feels somewhat dated and not relevant for a modern audience. Of course this isn't the making of a show, and with something like Mary Poppins it's mostly about the nostalgia and feel-good-factor but for a show that runs almost three hours long, some tweaks to make it more engaging wouldn't have gone amiss.
However, this is a show about compassion and the cast do a joyous job of bringing the story to life with energy, wonder and colour. Thanks in part to Bob Crowley's sets and costumes which are structured, colourful and all around excellence. The house which opens like the pages of a pop-up book is magnificent each time it's seen; and the plain park which becomes a psychedelic garden of amusement is completely brilliant. Sparkly costumes and beautifully tailored coats adorn the stage and evoke the joy from both the book and film well.
Stiles and Drewe's songs are much darker and sharper than those we've grown up with, with 'Playing the Game' bringing toys to life as the stuff nightmares are made of. Elsewhere scenes are taken from book to stage effectively and interestingly. Overall the musical is a whole lot of sugar with a little bit of spice thrown in for good measure... just how Mary Poppins would like it I assume!
Richard Eyre has directed a show for adults and children which brims with surprise but at times lacks sufficient pace. However, the choreography by Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear is sophisticated, sharp, witty and utterly first-rate. 'Step in Time' is a complete highlight as the stage comes to life with sweepers and leading man Charlie Stemp literally walks on the ceiling.
Stemp's entire performance is a masterclass in stage presence. His continually fresh characterisation completely draws the audience in as he moves and speaks with a natural grace and charms everyone who witnesses him. Additionally his rapport with Strallen's Mary is genuine and engaging. Zizi Strallen makes the famous nanny her own as she floats around the stage with a whimsical but grounded air and takes on the leading role excellently. Elsewhere Amy Griffiths is touching and vocally excellent as Mrs Banks and the entire ensemble give top notch performances.
Yes, this show is lacking at times but much of the time it's a feast for the eyes and ears and is sure to be enjoyed by many so why not take a trip to see magical Mary float in on her brolly right in front of your eyes.
Mary Poppins is currently booking at the Prince Edward Theatre until 31st May 2020, tickets are available at www.londonboxoffice.co.uk
photo credit: Johan Persson
Saturday 9 November 2019
Reputation, The Other Palace | Review
Reputation
The Other Palace
Reviewed on Friday 8th November 2019 by Olivia Mitchell
★★
It's the 1930s and the males in Hollywood are King. The world is glamourous, 'talking pictures' are all the rage and a good story can get you far. Alick and Suzanne Glass' musical is narrated by Freddy Larceny, a huge Hollywood producer who steals a young up-and-coming writer's work and has to fight for the reputation he's so carefully sculpted.
At this time, women are expected to be domestic creatures who stay in their lane and are there to support men with all they require; however, our heroine Michelle Grant confronts this and aims to write a novel and be her own boss. Maddy Banks plays Michelle with a burning energy and a sweet level of self-confidence. Her voice is strong, well-controlled and perfectly fitting for the musical style of the show, but the lack of variation in the score means we don't hear the full extent of Banks' vocals.
Alick Glass' music is entertaining at times and is certainly evocative of the 30s, New York and Paris, but overall the musical feels overstuffed with underdeveloped pieces. Abrupt stops and repetitive melodies often hinder the flow of the show and instead of adding anything to the story, just reiterate something already mentioned. The best musical moments happen when the girls join together in ensemble harmony but these are equally overused and begin to lack oomph quickly.
Tamsyn Salter's choreography is delightful and again very fitting for the time period. Salter has worked wonderfully with the limited space of The Other Palace Studio and will surely look even better when the show develops to bigger venues.
As the sleazy but kind of likeable crook, Jeremy Secomb is superb as Freddy Larceny. He is confident, slick and highly accomplished in his performance, giving a super strong vocal performance and is seeming well rounded despite actual character development. The lawyer who takes on Larceny, Archie Bright is played well by Ed Wade who is charmingly awkward and gives a stand out performance in act two when his vocals really shine.
Overall this is a production which certainly has potential but definitely needs to be edited and streamlined. It's great to see a show which focusses on a female narrative and rewriting history but it's hard to sympathise fully with our leading lady when many of her decisions remain motivated by a man. The love story is sweet but overshadows the female empowerment aspect which had the potential to be crucial and really make this show stand out. The cast do a great job and there are glimmers of magic but there absolutely needs to be more.
photo credit: photo donato
Saturday 2 November 2019
Ghost Quartet, Boulevard Theatre | Review
Ghost Quartet
Boulevard Theatre
Reviewed on Friday 1st November 2019 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
The opening of a new theatre in central London is cause for celebration, especially when it's as wonderfully sophisticated and welcoming as the Boulevard. SODA architects have created a millennial dream with a pink-walled restaurant with delicious looking food and cocktails and a completely chilled atmosphere. Whilst, Charcoalblue have made a theatre space which is versatile, extremely comfortable and just great. The programme of late night concerts, cabarets and podcasts is an exciting one indeed and this space is sure to become a hub for new theatrical experiences. The Sketch of the theatre world, the Boulevard is certainly worth a visit!
As the inaugural show, Dave Malloy's Ghost Quartet paves the way to stray from convention. The show is pretty much a song-cycle of interlinked ghost stories, sung track by track by an amazing group of performers. The four musicians play a whole range of instruments and introduce each track as they perform it. There's also a regular breaking of the fourth wall and the audience feel part of the story throughout. The line between real life person and character becomes blurred as the performers are addressed by both their actual names and show names. They also comment on the strangeness of the story throughout in a very meta manner which works exceptionally in the space.
We are introduced to a number of characters and stories which are eerie as opposed to scary and really don't make a tonne of sense, but that totally doesn't matter. The amazing performances and variety of musical styles make this a piece which wraps you round it's finger without having, or needing a proper plot. The circular seating adds to the feeling of being gathered round a campfire listening to stories the whole experience feels communal in a magical way.
The piece feels marvellously balanced between being off the cuff and rough around the edges but also highly sophisticated. Bill Buckhurst's direction has allowed the performers to be themselves as they interact with the audience but still maintain an aura of otherworldliness. Simon Kenny's set of piled suitcases, books and various household items allow for visual interest and frame the performers wonderfully. Emma Chapman's lighting is refined and effective.
The cast are an exceptionally talented bunch with some of the most stunning vocal tones gracing London stages right now. Carly Bawden, Maimuna Memon, Zubin Varla and Niccolò Curradi give completely enchanting performances and share a graceful rapport with each other and the audience. The way the performers exit the stage is completely magical and leaves you feeling warm and content, perhaps not how you'd expect to feel after a show with Ghost in the title. The vivacious performances and gripping qualities of characterisation throughout make Ghost Quartet a thrilling way to spend ninety minutes.
Ghost Quartet runs at the Boulevard Theatre until January 4th 2019
photo credit: Marc Brenner
Shook, Southwark Playhouse | Review
Shook
Southwark Playhouse
Reviewed on Friday 1st November 2019 by Shaun Dicks
★★★★★
Now in it’s tenth year, the Papatango writing prize is back. Last year’s winner, The Funeral Director, was a rousing success and ended up going on a national tour. After a record 1,406 entries for this year’s prize, the winner is Shook by Samuel Bailey. One of the prizes, a month’s run at the famous Southwark Playhouse.
We found ourselves in prison to follow the stories of Jonjo (Josef Davies), Cain (Josh Finan) and Riyad (Ivan Oyik), three inmates who all have young children and are taking a childcare class run by Grace (Andrea Hall). Throughout we stay in the classroom where we learn all about the three men, find out why they’re in there, see who they are as people and watch them train to be fathers. But as Cain points out, ‘You can’t teach anyone to be a parent.’
There are many things that make this show great. One of them is the humour. The jokes within this script from Bailey are a laugh riot. ‘What does MBE mean? Massive bellend.’ and ‘Have you grown up in a cupboard?’ are particular highlights delivered by the outrageously loud mouthed but hilarious Cain.
But what makes the humour so brilliant is the sucker punches that are handed out by Bailey later. They are brutally honest and cutting, like when they are talking about their children and Cain proclaims that ‘They’ll be in here too soon.’ and when Jonjo finally opens up about his dad leaving his family and Cain replies ‘Fair enough, your old man fucked off. That’s normal.’.
However, all get to shine in their different ways. Riyad is intelligent and full of confidence and he is looking to get his Maths GCSE. His confidence is on full display when he says, ‘I’m going to make Equilateral Triangles my bitch.’ Jonjo is new to the prison and is a very shy man. He takes his time to open up to the others and as he does, you warm up to him. As soon as you do, he hits you with the sucker punch of how he got to where he is. And Grace is a wonderful anchor for the entire show, giving the other characters someone to bounce off throughout.
What really stands out in this show is the cohesion between the performers. There is an outstanding rapport between all four actors. The bounce back of dialogue between all is seamless and brilliant. A testament to director George Turvey, who clearly worked his performers hard to get that level of cohesion.
Papatango and the Southwark Playhouse have met and superseded all expectations. The whole package is simply superb, from the writing to the performances. This. Play. Is. Phenomenal. It affects you and that is the sign of excellent theatre. Shook will take you and you will not return the same.
Shook runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 23rd November 2019
photo credit: The Other Richard
High Fidelity, Turbine Theatre | Review
High Fidelity
Turbine Theatre
Reviewed on Thursday 31st October 2019 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, a book about love and music set in a run-down North London record shop has crossed mediums being made into both a film and a musical, with a TV series on the way in 2020. The location for the film and the shows opening on Broadway was America but in this UK premiere, it's been transported back to its roots and is firmly rooted in London. As the Turbine Theatre's second production, its wonderful to see a musical which brings to life some of the excellence of this city.
High Fidelity tells the story of Rob who owns a record shop which is barely surviving, and his on-again, off-again relationship with Laura, a lawyer who he loves but struggles to maintain a mature, long lasting relationship with. In the shop are also Barry and Dick, two misfits who started as part-timers and ended up sticking around and creating lives amongst the records. The lonely characters are portrayed wonderfully and despite being somewhat heartbreaking to watch, it's lovely to be reminded that there's a place for everyone.
The whole story is told from Rob's perspective as he addresses the audience and tells them what's going on both in his physical world and in his head. Rob chronicles many of his life's moments into 'Top Five' lists which are not only entertaining but an insight into how his brain works. On stage for pretty much the entirety of the show, Oliver Ormson is charming as Rob. Despite playing a character who it's often hard to empathise with, Ormson brings a warmth and sincerity which makes the audience side with him even when his decisions are rash or morally dubious. Ormson's voice is strong and he maintains an energy which fizzles throughout and really powers the show. Opposite him, Shanay Holmes is exquisite as Laura who is continually conflicted by her feelings for Rob. Holmes' voice is absolutely exceptional and she manages to shine in both the bold, booming moments and the simple, toned down times.
The entirety of the cast give excellent performances. Joshua Dever is vocally excellent and earnest until the very end; Eleanor Kane is outstanding as Marie. Her voice fills the Turbine Theatre as she envelops the audience with her delightful Brandi Carlile-esque tones and gives a performance to remember. Robert Tripolino gives a show stealing performance as the wacky Ian, a spiritualist who is all about the good vibes and natural healing. Tripolino is hilarious in pretty much every moment of his stage time and a real stand out. Mention must go to Rosie Fletcher who shines out from start to finish and gives vocals for not just days, but months.
Tom Jackson Greaves directs with a brilliant ease and fluency so the entire production feels relatable. Perhaps not in terms of the story itself but through the truthful self-reflection and humour of it all. Whilst there's not an overwhelming amount of choreography, what's there is phenomenal. The small stage is used to it's full capabilities as the cast often move around as if inside Rob's brain. Particularly wonderful is the balloon choreography which is ingenious and incredibly sleek. David Shields' set is simplistic and effective. Record sleeves scatter the theatre and the stage is transformed by small changes which work perfectly to signal the varying locations.
The plot is by no means the best thing in the world and some of the songs feel too much like fillers but the performances and the Great British Bake Off meets Bat Out of Hell vibes of the whole thing make High Fidelity a throughly enjoyable night out. The Turbine Theatre team are showing us bit by bit what they're made of and we can only wait to see what will come next in this new London hub.
High Fidelity runs at the Turbine Theatre until 7th December 2019
photo credit: Mark Senior
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