Dave Malloy’s award-winning sung-through musical version of a short but eventful section of Tolstoy’s War and Peace has taken ten years to travel from Broadway, but the critics thought it was worth the wait. With some exceptions, they loved the music, the production (directed by Tim Sheader) and the performances. So, another hit for Mr Sheader in his first season as Artistic Director of The Donmar.
[Links to the full reviews are given but some websites may be blocked unless you have a subscription]
Sarah Crompton at WhatsOnStage (5★) was captivated: ‘both epic and intimate, vast and tiny. It is magnificent, infinite riches in a little room.’ She concluded, ‘It’s a riveting journey, true to Tolstoy’s themes yet compressing his mighty thoughts into one of the best new musicals for years, both hugely entertaining and deeply intelligent.’
Marianka Swain at LondonTheatre (5★) described it thus: ‘Dave Malloy’s gonzo, knowing, blisteringly funny and wildly creative chamber opera only takes one small section of the novel, and although it is undoubtedly, excitingly ambitious, this big-hearted show invites the audience into his dazzling world.’ She continued: ‘the most luminous element by far is the fantastic cast and onstage band laying into Malloy’s magpie score, which brilliantly fuses Slavic folk with EDM, rock-pop, jazz, and yearning ballads.’
Claire Allfree for the Telegraph (5★) said, ‘Malloy’s score is a gypsy carnival of sound…The singing throughout is outstanding and allows for expressive individual moments’.
Debbie Gilpin at BroadwayWorld (5★) found ‘The heady mix of ballads and uptempo numbers, not to mention drama and comedy, in the relatively intimate environment of the Donmar makes for a unique musical theatre experience.’
Arifa Akbar in The Guardian (4★) called it a ‘dynamic new production, which has stratospheric levels of energy’ but tempered her praise by saying, ‘the show is held back by its own polished larkiness though it is hugely and amusingly original all the same.’ She concluded, ‘this is a terrific creation and at its best it soars.’
‘Sparkling and strange, Dave Malloy’s EDM-fuelled rock opera is a thing to marvel at’ declared The Independent’s Alice Saville (4★). She went on, ‘Malloy’s … musical is a masterclass in prosody, with its often-thin lyrics given emotional heft and depth by orchestration choices, which elicit their meaning.’
Laurie Yule writing for The Stage (4★) picked out ‘Most notable, though, are the jaw-dropping performances from an energetic and passionate ensemble.’ Andrzej Lukowski of Time Out (4★) called it ‘one of the great musicals of our day’.
There were dissenters. The Standard’s Nick Curtis (3★) described it as a ‘massively audacious, massively pretentious musical’. Clive Davis of The Times (3) was unmoved: ‘if its sheer theatricality is never less than dazzling, the relentlessly quirky tone…kept me at a distance from the characters. I laughed, I grinned, but I never really felt inclined to shed a tear.’
Vanessa Williams & Jerry Mitchell hit musical heights
★★★★
Vanessa Williams and Matt Henry in The Devil Wears Prada. Photo: Matt Crockett
There’s no denying this musical offers style over substance. However, if you don’t go expecting substance, you will be rewarded with plenty of style. It helps of course that The Devil Wears Prada has a book by Kate Wetherhead, music by Elton John, lyrics by Shaina Taub and Mark Sonnenblick and a star like Vanessa Williams, but what really cements these contributions into a great musical is the the director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell. This guy knows how to put on a show. His production packs the stage with dazzling dance routines, soaring voices, brilliant sets and just sheer energy.
Very much in line with the film, it tells the story of a serious young journalist called Andrea who gets a job working for a prestigious but to her frivolous fashion magazine as second assistant to the tyrannical editor. It’s a kind of Faustian pact in which she has to trade her principles for journalistic success. The question is, will she or won’t she?
Let’s start with how it looks (very appropriate for a show about the fashion industry). The stage is brilliantly lit by Bruno Poet and populated by fabulous dresses designed by Greg Barnes. I believe at least some of them ar genuine haute couteur frocks. Even the proscenium arch has a strip of neon light running round it like the beading on a Chanel handbag. Tim Hatley’s sets suggest the opulence of the world they describe, except of course the set for Andy’s poky apartment. You have never seen such vivid reds as at the Red Ball, centred on an extravagant staircase. And Paris is evoked not only by a giant depiction of the Eiffel Tower but also beautiful red white and blue colours.
The Dominion has a large stage but this show has no problem filling it. Over two dozen performers go through their routines with military precision. Okay, there is the odd occasion when they seem to be just running around but mostly the moves are eye-catching and clever. Models sway down the aisles onto the stage. The second act opens in a hospital where a row of handsome male nurses form a chorus line.
The principal characters are sharply drawn and perfectly cast. Vanessa Williams as Miranda Priestly, editor of the Vogue like Runway magazine, is stupendous, every bit as haughty, cutting and frightening as you would hope. In a ‘less is more’ performance, she emanates power. It’s only a shame that Elton John hasn’t come up with a song that truly conveys her devilish character.
Georgie Buckland as Andy makes her West End debut but you would imagine she was a musical veteran such is the confidence and versatility with which she acts the part of a mouse that becomes a tiger. Very nearly stealing the show is Amy di Bartolomeo who is very funny as Emily, Miranda’s desperate, appearance-obsessed personal assistant. All three women have extraordinarily good singing voices, the kind that can hit spine tinglingly high notes.
Nigel- the Stanley Tucci part in the movie (I say that because I’m not exactly sure what this character’s job is, but he’s important and he befriends Andy)-is played by Matt Henry with humour and sensitivity.
Georgie Buckland in The Devil Wears Prada
I was concerned by the end of the first act that too many of Elton John’s songs were fast moving and rhythm heavy in the style of Crocodile Rock. Then again, the relentless rock matched Andy’s experience of being swept along by the pace and pressure of her new job.
The second act is a different proposition. The book and the songs reveal more about the characters’ personalities and stories, so there’s room for slower and more poignant songs, which carry the familiar Elton John stamp. The lyrics are quite witty and take the story forward. Nigel in particular has a plaintive song Seen in which he describes being an ostracised gay youngster saved by joining the fashion world.
So the music works, even if there are no showstoppers and you don’t leave singing any of the songs. At this point, I should say that the live band under Katharine Woolley drives the show like a rocket.
Lightweight, yes, but thanks to a fabulous production and splendid performers, this is a musical to savour. That’s all!
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Photo: Marc Brenner
Many 4 and 5 star reviews for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Based on an F Scott Fitzgerald short story, which also spawned a film starring Brad Pitt, the musical is about a man who lives his life in reverse. Created by Jethro Compton and Darren Clark, it transfers the action from America to Cornwall. The show has spent five years working its way up from the fringe to the refined version we now find in the West End starring John Dagleish and Claire Foster.
[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]
WhatsOnStage’s Alun Hood (5★) declared: ‘Already one of the best British musicals in decades, in this newest iteration, it looks like a world-beater.’ It is, he explained, ‘a complex but never confusing yarn about such universal themes as the passage of time, the nature of belonging, the meaning of home, and the redemptive power of love.’ of the two lovers st the centre of the story, he said, ‘Dagleish nails the eternal misfit’ and Clare Foster ‘is heartbreakingly good, conveying a life-affirming generosity of spirit as she moves from the restlessness of assertive youth to the infirmity of old age.’ He ended, ‘Timeless and heart-burstingly magical, there’s no other current West End musical I’d rather be at.’
Tim Robey, the Telegraph’s film critic (5★), said, ‘The show’s open-hearted lyricism achieves a truly warming glow, the likes of which we may not have seen since the Tony-winning Once, over a decade ago.’ Praise indeed. He concluded, ‘The musical’s creators, Jethro Compton and Darren Clark, haven’t just breathed new life into a literary gimmick but unlocked meanings I never guessed it could have.’
Aliya Al-Hassan of Broadway World (5★) described it as a ‘beautifully crafted show that vibrates with heart and soul’ and said, ‘The show is jam-packed with top quality, empathetic and carefully crafted songs, from the loud and vibrant to delicate and moving ballads.’
In the Standard (4★), Nick Curtis declared, ‘this is the version to treasure.’ ‘This musical really does touch the heart,’ felt Clive Davis in The Times (4★). ‘Clark’s melodies are sinuous and restless,’ he said.
Andrzej Lukowski in Time Out (4★) described it ‘an extraordinary thing, a soaring folk opera that overwhelms you with a cascade of song and feeling.’ He continued, ‘it has a joy, romance and big-hearted elan that stands in stark contrast to Fitzgerald’s cynicism and the dolefulness of Fincher’s sloggy film.’
Calling it ‘loveable’, Holly O’Mahony in The Stage (4★) said, ‘it’s atmospheric, with fishing nets and buoys hanging above a wooden, dock-like stage. Darren Clark’s folksy score is studded with Clark and Compton’s sea shanty-style songs, and there’s a determinedly upbeat essence to the music that prevents the bittersweet story from ever dwelling in its darkness.’
For The Guardian (4★), Emma John said, ‘Perhaps the winsomeness is occasionally overdone. But it’s impossible to be grudging about a production this warm, touching and vivacious.’ Fiona Mountford at i-news (4★) referred to ‘this charming show with its thrummingly tuneful score and fable-like quality’ and a ‘tender and achingly poignant, love story.’
In an insightful review at LondonTheatre (4★), Marianka Swain noted, ‘Luke Swaffield’s evocative soundscape features lapping waves and a whistling wind; there’s a sense of the vast eternity of nature, in sharp contrast to the brief span of a human life. We must make every moment count.’
The Observer’s Susannah Clapp (4) declared , ‘It’s a wave-like movement, a constant musical surge – more jig than gig – that sweeps the evening along. Warmly. Curiously.’
Just when it seemed the reviews were universally excellent, along came Dominic Maxwell in The Sunday Times (2) describing it as ‘insufferably cute’.
Critics’ average rating 4.3 ★
Value rating 53 (Value rating is the Average Critic Rating divided by the typical ticket price)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button can be seen at the Ambassadors Theatre until 15 February 2025. Buy tickets direct from theambassadorstheatre
If you’ve seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at the Ambassadors, please add your review below
Adam Dannheisser in Fiddler On The Roof. Photo: Marc Brenner
Fiddler On The Roof opened on Broadway in 1964, and became the first Broadway musical to pass 3000 performances. Since then there have been tens of thousands of productions: there are said to be 500 amateur productions a year in the USA alone. Proof, if needed, that this story of a small Jewish Community in Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century is an audience favourite, all over the world and across all races and faiths. But why does it touch so many hearts? And what is so special about this latest iteration at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre?
Fiddler On The Roof is built around the story of a milkman called Tevye and his conflicts with his daughters over who they should marry. If you haven’t seen Fiddler, or maybe even if you have, you might have the impression that this is all it’s about- a comedy in which Tevye talks to the audience, talks to God and even talks to the violin player about his dilemmas. The idea that it is a light-hearted musical has been reinforced by the cheeriness of the most famous Tevye, Chaim Topol, and the way all the best tunes are loaded in the first half.
We move through Tradition, Matchmaker and If I Were A Rich Man, almost while people are still taking their seats; Sunrise, Sunset follows rapidly, then The Dream which is performed hilariously in this production by all the cast dressed in white acting out Tevye’s apparent nightmare, and, at the climax of act one, the great Bottle Dance, based on Jerome Robbins’ original idea but in this production excitingly choreographed by Julia Cheng, best known until now for her work on the current hit production of Cabaret. All these most familiar moments are gone by the time you claim your interval drink. Which is not to say there aren’t some good numbers in the second act.
I don’t want to talk too much about the second half, in case you haven’t seen Fiddler, but it becomes much clearer that what the first act was setting us up for is the need to compromise our traditions as the world changes, wherever we live, whatever the time, and whatever our own age. And that this will help us face adversity, and not give in to despair. And while this is a positive message in this sometimes depressing world, it comes against a dark backdrop of a small impoverished Russian Jewish Community in 1905, living in relative poverty and threatened by antisemitism. That it still packs a punch today is a credit to the writer of the book Joseph Stein, the lyricist Sheldon Harnick and of course composer Jerry Bock who combined a traditional east European sound with modern music to make unforgettable show tunes.
I was a bit worried when I realised the director was Jordan Fein who was responsible for the downbeat version of Oklahoma! at the Young Vic. I do realise there is a dark undercurrent in Oklahoma! but I felt his gloomy treatment sucked all the joy out of the musical. But here, his ability to see the dark side of a musical is tempered by a lightness of touch, and the heavier theme is handled with sobriety rather than despair. He doesn’t labour the destruction of the community nor the modern parallels, any more than the musical itself does, but he doesn’t skate over them either, as previous productions have tended to do. You could say he has succeeded in balancing the traditional view of Fiddler with a modern sensibility.
Fiddler On The Roof at the Open Air Theatre. Photo: Marc Brenner
Tom Scutt’s design is extraordinary. The costumes feel authentic, all loose simple clothes, that look handmade. The irony is not lost that The Open Air Theatre is the only major London theatre without a roof, but he has created a roof across the stage that looks like a wheat field, symbolising the way the community live off the land. It acts as the village’s protection, yet seems ready to crush them like a Venus Flytrap. The roof dominates but never distracts and it’s high up on that roof that the fiddler is first seen and heard. Raphael Papo is the talented violinist.
Adam Dannheisser banishes all thoughts of Topol
The choice of Adam Dannheisser to play Tevye is inspired. He has a great ability to convey his attempts to reconcile the previous way of matchmaking and the new way of marrying for love. His commanding physical stature helps him seem like an authoritative father figure, but this is accompanied by a world weariness, an uncertainty and a benign quality, expressed through his gentle eyes and gestures. Strong on the outside, soft on the inside, he articulates the inner conflict he feels in trying to reconcile tradition and the modern world. It’s an eternal conflict that audiences identify with.
It seems invidious to pick out other members of the universally excellent cast but I have to bring attention to Lara Pulver as Golde, who provides a strong willed wife for Tevye and has an superb singing voice, best illustrated in the bittersweet duet Do You Love Me?
All the daughters sing and act beautifully. The oldest daughter Tzeitel is played by Liv Andrusier with chutzpah. Dan Wolff is a suitably shy and awkward as her choice of husband Motel. Daniel Krikler is the passionate radical Perchik who wants to marry another strong-minded daughter Hodel, played by Georgia Bruce. Hannah Bristow is the bookish daughter Chava who falls in love with Fyedka, played by George Milne. Comedy is provided by Beverley Klein as the matchmaker Yente, and Michael S Siegel as the miserable butcher Lazar Wolf.
It’s a production that perfectly balances the humorous and the serious.
Fiddler On The Roof can be seen at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre until 28 September 2024
Paul paid for his own ticket
Click here to watch this review on the YouTube channel Theatre reviews With Paul Seven
Jo Foster and Leesa Tulley in Why Am I So Single? Photo: Danny Kaan
Why Am I So Single? is the much anticipated follow up by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss to their global phenomenon Six (or should that be SIX?). It arrived at the Garrick Theatre to slightly mixed reviews. All the critics agreed that it was musically strong- perhaps even better than Six– but there was disagreement about the story. Basically, the authors have looked at their own love lives and riffed on various aspects of dating, some light-hearted, some serious, in a not always coherent plot. Judging by the various reviewers’ reactions, it may be that this musical will appeal more to a younger generation (Generation Z?) who have had similar experiences. The stars Leesa Tulley and Jo Foster were widely praised.
[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]
Sarah Crompton at WhatsOnStage (5★) summed up, it’s ‘a fabulous show about two writers who are best friends and are recognisably you, trying to write a successful hit musical, while agonising about their unhappy love lives.’ She was struck by the way ‘its wry tone and its vitality is underpinned by a truthful portrait of just how difficult it is to find love in these modern, confusing times – and by the honesty and the relationship at its heart.’ She concluded, ‘Its hymn to the pleasure of friendship is what tethers its exuberance to the ground and makes it so moving as well as so funny. There are moments when it could be pulled back, and it is marginally long, but once you give it your heart, it holds you.’
Isobel Lewis for the i (4★) was fully on board: ‘Why Am I So Single? has all the conventional trappings of a classic musical: an earworm-stuffed soundtrack, pithy script, sharp choreography from Ellen Kane and dynamic central performances. But it’s also a show that constantly subverts expectations, sneaking in complex ideas about identity, nostalgia and grief alongside the tongue-in-cheek “men are trash” rants.’
The Financial Times’ Sarah Hemming (4★) wrote, ‘It’s wickedly self-referential and completely daft’, and said, ‘the show has so much effervescent joy, and is delivered with such energy and heart by Foster, Tulley and the terrific ensemble, that it’s irresistible’.
The Stage’s Holly O’Mahony (4★) called it ‘a whip-smart musical comedy’, saying ‘The show’s deft brilliance is in the lyrics of its songs. Eight Dates, about the brutal ghostings and last-minute cancellations rife in online dating, bottles the phenomenon superbly’.
The Standard’s Nick Curtis (4★) compared it to Six and found it ‘just as quirky and surprising and almost as good.’ He decided, ‘This zesty, in-jokey, crackerjack entertainment proves they’re certainly not one-hit wonders.’
Marianka Swain for LondonTheatre (4★), calling it a ‘more ambitious but still blisteringly entertaining second collaboration’, said it was, ‘a production packed with knowing winks to the audience: fourth-wall-breaking asides, quips about the structure of the show itself, and, happily for musical theatre geeks, tons of stagey references.’
Nancy Durrant writing for The Observer (4★) called it ‘A joy’ and said, ‘The writing is pin-sharp; stuffed with pop culture references, from Tracey Emin’s bed to LinkedIn, it pulls you up repeatedly with its intelligence and wit as Nancy (Leesa Tulley, exuding warmth) and Oliver (Jo Foster, hugely charismatic, with an astonishing voice), try to work out what’s wrong with them’.
Not all the veteran critics were alienated. The Times’ Clive Davis (4★) said, ‘there’s so much inventiveness on display This show is a laugh-a-minute feast.’
Laura Rutkowski for the Radio Times (4★) wrote,’Yes, there are the big, outrageous musical numbers full of hilarious double entendres that make you want to just get up there and dance right alongside the cast, but it also touches upon queerness, shame, rejection, and loss in ways that feel representative and not tokenistic. Such was her enthusiasm that she declared, ‘I defy anyone not to have a massively enjoyable time at this musical. It’s uplifting, hilarious, and creative’. A few critics took up her challenge…
Arifa Akbar in The Guardian (3★) loved the score. ‘Moss and Marlow are without doubt the most talented musical songwriters out there,’ she declared. ‘What elevates the production is the score: every song is a powerhouse’. She was less keen on the story: ‘the first half about dating woes feels old hat as Bridget Jones, in spirit.‘ Taking the opposite view to The Stage’s reviewer, she found ‘The power of the drama hits in the second half as the characters become more vulnerable and intimate’.
‘Sweeter and frothier than pink prosecco, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s new musical is squarely aimed at the girls, gays and theys,’ said Alice Saville in The Independent (3★). ‘Marlow and Moss are talents to be reckoned with, when they find a story that’s really worth telling.’ She concluded, ‘The first half erupts like a shaken bottle of prosecco, fizzing and flowing with astute hit after hit. And while the show flattens in the second, it’s still, quite probably, the defining musical of the dating-app age.’
Time Outs’ Andrjez Lukowski (3★) described it as ‘an endearingly quirky but preposterously self-indulgent parade of set-piece musical numbers with about three minutes of actual story in between.’ His review ended: ‘Good tunes, good cheer and good vibes from Moss’s larky, energetic direction – that makes extremely imaginative use of the ensemble – mean it all goes down quite agreeably. But ultimately Moss and Marlow’s rambling tribute to their own friendship seems unlikely to have the staying power of its predecessor: a curio, not a classic.
Gary Naylor on The Arts Desk (3★) explored the target audience: ‘Some will ache with recognition, as Oliver and Nancy dig deeper in deeper into their own psyches… Others will wonder how these two twenty-somethings can afford their lifestyles, why exactly Oliver! is their favourite musical and why they stick to amateur therapy when there are so many professionals out there.’
Dominic Maxwell in The Sunday Times (2★) offered the most damning review: ‘A bit of satire about modern dating mores gets us so far but beyond that the duo are soon staring inwards and repeating themselves. With jokes, with intelligence, with tunes. All of which would be enough for a one-act trifle, but stretches patience over a show that’s almost as long as Les Misérables.’
Variety doesn’t award stars but its reviewer David Benedict called it ‘fatally slack’, and said, ‘the target Gen-Z audience … might decide to go to a West End musical to see their lives reflected. But where “Six” long ago crossed over from the youth market to ticket-buyers of all ages, “Why Am I So Single?” riskily lacks appeal beyond its target audience.’
Critics’ Average Rating 3.6★
Value rating 40 (Value rating is the Average Critic Rating divided by the typical ticket price.)
Why Am I So Single? can be seen at the Garrick Theatre until 13 February 2025. Buy tickets direct here.
If you’ve seen Why Am I So Single? at the Garrick Theatre, please add your review and rating below
The story of a Jewish family trying to reconcile tradition and the modern world and their settlement being driven out of Russia at the turn of the 20th century has become one of the most successful musicals of all time. The music by Jerry Bock and Joseph Stein and book by Sheldon Harnick appeal to all nationalities through the last sixty years. Inevitably the shadow of past productions, particularly those involving the great Topol as Tevye, hangs over any new one. The 5 and 4 star reviews by the London theatre critics were united in saying that Jordan Fein‘s open air interpretation is a triumphant reinvention that looks both forward and backward. Tom Scutt‘s set was seen as a winner in itself, silencing any jokes about Fiddler On The Roof being staged at the only large London theatre without a roof. Adam Dannheiser was widely praised for his toned down version of Tevye. Indeed, the whole cast including the actual fiddler received plaudits.
[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]
Calling the show ‘Absolutely terrific’, Sarah Crompton at WhatsOnStage (5★) wrote, ‘The quality of Jordan Fein’s wonderful, emotional production is that it perfectly holds the balance of Fiddler on the Roof, neither tilting towards saccharine nor bitterness, towards schmaltz or politics.’ She was equally impressed by the cast: ‘At the heart of all this is the quiet underplaying and resonant voice of Dannheisser, who turns Tevye not into a Topol-style caricature but into a wry, ironic man, buffeted by events he cannot control, yet always finding it possible to assert love. He is matched by Laura Pulver’s Golde, full of emotion she doesn’t often express, but finding tenderness in gesture and stillness.’
Marianka Swain for The Telegraph (5★) called it ‘a masterclass in balancing innovation with tradition.’ She said, ‘in a stripped-back but exquisitely crafted production, Fein gets to the very soul of the work.’ She noted, ‘Fein’s staging is also beautifully attuned to the park’s natural magic. The shiver-inducing coup de théâtre is the sun actually setting during the bittersweet song Sunrise, Sunset. The bleaker second half then takes place in the dark of night.’
The Observer’s Susannah Clapp (5★) noted, ‘its painful progression can suggest any group of people struggling with internal change, under threat from authorities, bullied into movement. It’s hard to imagine a production that would do so more powerfully than Jordan Fein’s. His is also the best use of the Open Air theatre I have seen for ages.’ Among the many aspects of the production liked by Mark Lawson in The Guardian (5★) were the way ‘Fein foregrounds comedy, setting the piece in the tradition of deflective Jewish humour’, and ‘Adam Dannheisser perfectly times the one-liners … but also conveys the character’s deep faith’.
David Benedict for The Stage (5★) was impressed by ‘Fein’s arrestingly intelligent second-act directorial decisions (which) deepen and darken the action and make the show richer and stronger than any recent London revivals.’ Cindy Marcolina at Broadway World (5★) called it ‘Charming, heart-rending, and utterly gorgeous’.
Gary Naylor on TheArtsDesk (5★) handed out plaudits to the star: ‘Adam Dannheiser…brings charisma to burn to the role’; to the director: ‘maintains a breakneck pace (I cannot recall time passing so swiftly in the stalls) and uses the unique qualities of his stage beautifully’; and to everyone involved.
Tim Bano for Time Out (4★) called it ‘a production about reinventing a classic musical through small gestures and symbols, rather than radical high concepts’. He praised ‘using the sun almost like a design element. It’s all gorgeous evening sunshine for the earlier, happier parts of the story, but the haunting wedding tune ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ is designed to kick in just as the light fades, and then the bleaker second half takes place under black skies.’
Suzy Feay for The Financial Times (4★) wrote ‘Adam Dannheisser brings huge warmth but dials down the bombast as this timid man in a big man’s body’.
Neil Fisher writing for The Times (4★) was not entirely convinced by the star: ‘The paterfamilias of this story can be stoic, wry, fierce, anguished, uproarious, pious. The appealing Adam Dannheisser goes for something between all these things — not entirely convincingly.‘ But he had no doubt about the production: ‘Consider Jerry Bock, Joseph Stein and Sheldon Harnick’s masterpiece revved up rather than revamped. Underneath a mighty canopy of wheat — a dramatic set by Tom Scutt that shows us both the deep roots of this Jewish community and its fragility — Fein’s production is a fast-paced, ensemble-driven night.’ He pointed out, ‘perhaps Fein’s greatest work is to balance the joy with the pain’.
Aliya Al-Hassan at LondonTheatre (4★) said ‘(Fein) manages to bolster all the joy, humour and sense of community, then brings us back down to earth as the insidious creep of antisemitism destroys the integral fabric of this society. ‘The Standard‘s Nick Curtis (4★) called it, ‘a liberating, exuberant and humane production where the great songs – Tradition; If I Were a Rich Man; Sunrise, Sunset – touch you to the core. It also feels sadly contemporary without even trying.’ Fiona Mountford for i-news (4★) called it ‘a musical triumph’.
The Express‘s Stefan Kyriazis (4★) liked so much about the show: For starters, he loved the set: ‘I felt like I was dreaming.’ He observed, ‘The ensemble are strong, the musicians (tucked at the back of the set and costumed like villagers) wonderful and the dancers are a joy.’ As for the production: ‘Set against Tom Scutt’s magnificent stage and costume designs, director Jordan Fein beautifully treads the tightrope of respecting and celebrating the 1964 show while sensitively adding some modern nuances’. The ending, he reported, ‘is pure, powerful theatre’. His only reservation seemed to be about the star: ‘Adam Dannheisser has a rich singing voice and brings warmth and easy wit to Tevye’s innate charm. I just didn’t quite feel the sense of a weary towering figure struggling to keep himself and his family afloat.’
Jane Prinsley at The Jewish Chronicle (4★) was not alone in thinking ‘this production is Golde’s, with Olivier-award-winning Lara Pulver’s sharp and knowing performance’. She was impressed that ‘Innovations never distract from the narrative, and the play’s relevance today speaks to its enduring power.’
Critics’ Average Rating 4.4★
Value rating 66 (Value rating is the Average Critic Rating divided by the typical ticket price.)
Imelda Staunton and the cast of Hello, Dolly! Photo: Manuel Harlan
It’s a legendary show from the Golden Age of Musicals. It’s one of the most successful shows of all time in terms of awards and performances. Yet (whisper it) Hello, Dolly! isn’t very good. Michael Stewart‘s book comprises a ludicrous plot and is saved only by the amusing machinations of its main character. Jerry Herman contributed hardly any memorable songs except the title number and Dolly’s other great song Before The Parade Passes By. Worse, the score also features the execrable It Only Takes A Moment.
Its greatness lies in two redeeming features: the opportunity to put on magnificent chorus numbers, like Put On Your Sunday Clothes (which I admit has a nice hook) and the title number; and providing a vehicle for a female musical star to shine. Fortunately, if a production can get those right, that’s all it needs. And this new production, directed by Dominic Cooke who was responsible for the National Theatre’s legendary Follies, does get it right.
For a start, it is a sumptuous production in the great tradition of the Golden Age. The large London Palladium stage is not only packed with people, it is filled with Rae Smith‘s set and costumes that conjure up the glamour of the end of the nineteenth century. Among its delights are a conveyor that stretches the width of the stage and creates even more movement, a full-size train that is jaw-dropping in its execution, and an enormous staircase to accommodate the arrival of Dolly for her big number.
The choreography was originally by Gower Champion, who wowed Broadway and gets a credit to this day. Bill Deamer is named as choreographer of this production, and his chorus numbers are magnificent in their scale, co-ordination and vitality. There are something like three dozen members of the company but, in case you’re wondering, there’s not much opportunity for individual brilliance on the dance floor.
Imelda Staunton in Hello, Dolly! Photo: Manuel Harlan
Then there’s the star. Carol Channing first played Dolly, the matchmaker and all-round entrepreneur, to massive acclaim. Since then, many top musical stars have added it to their cv, including Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Pearl Bailey, Bernadette Peters and of course Barbra Streisand in the film version. Can any have bettered Imelda Staunton? I don’t see how. She has a great voice that hits the back of the circle when it needs to, but also an ability to plumb a depth of pathos you didn’t even realise was there in a potboiler song like Before The Parade Passes By. Plus she injects the whole proceedings with a level of energy that could single-handedly power the government’s new Great British Energy company.
Fans of her film and television work would probably have no idea of her ability as a singer, but she has played the Baker’s Wife in Into The Woods, Miss Adelaide in Guys And Dolls, Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Sally in Follies, Gypsy Rose in Gypsy, and now Dolly Levi. All triumphantly. Only Mame remains before she has a full house of the great musical roles for mature women.
She is supported by a strong cast but the characters don’t give them much to get their teeth into. In fact, the term ‘character’ may qualify as misinformation. Andy Nyman is an excellent actor but as Dolly’s prospective husband, the rich but miserable Horace Vandergelder, he has little to do except be irascible while his suitor draws him into her web. The same goes for Jenna Russell as Irene Molloy, Dolly’s friend who has her own romantic ambitions: she does what she does very well but she hasn’t much to do. Irene’s romantic interest Cornelius Hackl is a traditional (for which read ‘cliché’) ‘juvenile lead’, with little to do except look pretty and behave cheekily. Harry Hepple handles the role well. Their friends Minnie Fay and Barnaby Tucker are supposed to be the comical parts but remain resolutely unfunny despite the Olympian efforts of Emily Lane and Tyrone Huntley.
With due respect to all of company and creative team, the evening belongs to Imelda Staunton.
Fangirls at the Lyric Hammersmith. Photo: Manuel Harlan
Fangirls is a musical by Yve Blake that originated in Australia. It concentrates on the experience of a 14 year old female fan of a boy band. It seemed those critics who best remembered what it was like to be a young fan loved it the most but all of them quite liked it. The original Australian director Paige Rattray is in charge of its UK premiere.
[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]
‘For two hours and 30 minutes, you feel like a teenager again,’ enthused Olivia Rook for LondonTheatre (5★), praising it as ‘a celebration of young female expression’. Jessie Thompson at The Independent (5★) was another reviewer who revisited her teenage years: ‘although Blake succinctly targets the cynical capitalist exploitation of teenage girls, this celebration of vulnerability, bravery and self-acceptance will win you over for something more. Fangirls doesn’t just evoke the untamed inner life of being a teen, it reclaims it – making you wistful for when you felt things so deeply that they actually hurt.’
Charlotte Vickers at WhatsOnStage (5★) said, ‘Rattray’s direction … is impeccable, moving us between humour and the deadly serious on a knife edge’ and added, ‘All of the songs are really strong’. Katie Kirkpatrick at BroadwayWorld (5★) was a fan: ‘Fangirls has everything that you could want from modern musical theatre: it’s a visual spectacle, full of talented performers, catchy songs, impressive dance numbers, and an exciting story. It’s the definition of a feel-good night out at the theatre.’
Holly O’Mahony for The Stage (4★) found ‘Blake delves into the intense, insecure minds of young female fans, and ultimately serves them justice.’ Calling it ‘fantastic’, Sarah Hemming in The Financial Times (4★) noted that ‘at its core is a sympathy for the disorientation and despair that can cloud teenage years, sometimes seriously.’ She was impressed by a cast ‘peppered with talent’. Isobel Lewis reviewing for the i (4★) called it ‘an impressive, bombastic production’.
Claire Allfree in the Telegraph (3★) told us not to worry about the ‘completely barmy plot’ because ‘what matters here is the punchy hip-hop routines’. She added, ‘Paige Rattray’s neon-lit production,(is) undeniably superbly executed’. The Guardian‘s Arifa Akbar (3★) concluded, ‘the musical goes from what might have been a penetrating exploration of young femininity to an absurdist comedy caper which never quite captures the quietly tortured ache of that first crush.’
The Standard‘s Nick Curtis (3★) said, ‘The dancing is dynamic, the singing largely good, the design a pulsating mix of music-video graphics and deranged close ups projected onto three curved screens. But the veil of kookiness covering a thin, derivative plot really bugged me.’ Clive Davis in The Times (3★) praised ‘the exceptional quality of the performances‘
Shrek The Musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire is back in a new production by Samuel Holmes and Nick Winston. Antony Lawrence and Joanne Clifton are the leads. Following a short tour, it has arrived in London but it seemed most of the critics, posting the worst reviews of the year so far, would be happy to send Shrek straight back to the swamp.
[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]
Aliya Al-Hassain at LondonTheatre (3★) was the only mainstream critic who seemed to have any time for it, calling it a ‘buoyant stage musical adaptation’. She picked out Antony Lawrence’s performance as Shrek for praise.
Chris Wiegand in The Guardian (2) experienced ‘sludgy monotony and often unmemorable songs’ in a ‘show often feels flatly unadventurous’. Theo Bosanquet from WhatsOnStage (2★) was disappointed that ‘a production that relies so much on laughs just simply isn’t as funny anymore’. Kirsten Grant for the Telegraph (2★) called it ‘a cheap attempt to cash in on a cult favourite’ but she did draw a crumb of comfort from ‘a stand-out performance from Cherece Richards as Dragon, whose powerhouse vocals momentarily lifted the production’.
Labelling the musical ‘an atrocity’, Anya Ryan for The Times (1★) said ‘Their love story is in crying need of chemistry — instead, everything is shouted at a torturously loud volume.’ Nick Curtis in The Standard (1★) called it ‘pretty lame’. ‘The sets are a skimpy collection of poorly projected animations and flown-in flats,’ he said.
Critics’ Average Rating 1.8★
Value Rating 24 (Value Rating is the critics’ average rating combined with the typical ticket price)
Caissie Levy in Next To Normal. Photo: Marc Brenner
A suburban American family cope with a wife/mother with bipolar disorder in Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s musical Next To Normal. It is becoming almost commonplace for new musicals to take on heavy subject matter and the critics have been complimentary to this one for the way it uses music to convey the woman’s state of mind. The British production started at the Donmar Warehouse and has now transferred to the West End. Some of the critics had more reservations than others about the musical but it was generally agreed that Caissie Levy was exceptionally good in the lead role. Michael Longhurst directs.
[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]
Tom Wicker for Time Out (4★) said, ‘Where this show unambiguously succeeds is in its sympathetic but clear-sighted depiction of a family buckling under buried grief and an impossible present…As Kitt’s attention-grabbing score and Yorkey’s lyrics wheel through differing genres, we get an aural sense of the characters’ messy kaleidoscope of feelings.’
Sam Marlowe in The Stage (4★) called it a ‘harrowing, tough-minded musical,’ saying it ‘rips out your heart and hands it back to you, bruised but overflowing.’ The Standard‘s Nick Curtis (4★) declared it was ‘Wonderfully sung and staged’.
Olivia Rook for London Theatre (4★) said, ‘The ‘musical soars in the hands of such an accomplished and connected cast.’ Abbie Grundy reviewing for Broadway World (4★) described it as ‘a delicate yet gut-punching exploration of mental health and grief’. He said, ‘The cast is as strong vocally as they are within their acting, giving justice to the punchy score.’
Dominic Maxwell in The Times (3★) found it a paradoxical show. He described it as ‘simultaneously sophisticated and plodding‘ and said he ‘found this tale of breakdown and potential recovery went from utterly persuasive to oddly shallow.’
Other reviewers caught it at the Donmar:
Marianka Swain in an earlier review for LondonTheatre (4★) said it ‘really puts you through the wringer in its raw depiction of mental illness and family disconnection. But this courageous and deeply moving piece provides ecstasy as well as agony, light as well as darkness.’ Suzi Feay writing for the Financial Times (4★) said it ‘stirringly depicts a woman’s steeply deteriorating condition and the havoc it wreaks on her family’.
Emma John writing for The Guardian (3★) found the main character Diana was ‘compellingly portrayed by Caissie Levy’. Her main reservation was that ‘the second half still feels overlong, as songs crash into each other without any concomitant plot development’.
Average critics’ rating 3.8★ Value Rating 44 (Value rating is the Average Critic Rating divided by the typical ticket price.)
