★★★★

“Cookson’s inventive style of directing is – as ever – capturing, stimulating and entertaining”

Wonder Boy by Ross Willis, and directed by Sally Cookson, follows Sonny (Hilson Agbangbe) as he comes to terms with the cause of his stammer; and tries to overcome it. Sonny has a passion for art and creates a comic character Captain Chatter (Ciaran O’Breen) who joins him as he moves to a new foster carer as well as a new school. He is befriended by the hilarious Roshi (Naia Elliott-Spence) and guided by the initially guarded Wainwright (Eva Scott). Wainwright has her own obstacles as she comes up against the new, heartless headmistress Fish (Jessica Murrain) who attempts to change the school for the worst.

Ross Willis has written an incredibly accessible and important story, while Cookson’s inventive style of directing is – as ever – capturing, stimulating and entertaining. The piece shied away from lazy stereotypes while staying current with a clear finger on the pulse of what is relevant for younger audiences.

The stage was bordered with an electric blue, neon light that sizzled on the perimeter of the action. Katie Sykes (set designer) struck a fantastic balance of producing a spacious, de-cluttered stage while chromatically supporting scenes with a variety of levels, thus subtly highlighting areas of the stage for scenes to take place. There was a wonderful interactive backdrop that drew the dialogue of the scenes using the speaking character’s handwriting. This, combined with the sign language that Captain Chatter used, accelerated the inclusivity of the piece and broadened the show’s audience reach while still being able to be clear on the heart and story of the play.

The lighting (Aideen Malone) and sound (Jonathan Everett) were phenomenal, with both mediums truly engaging and gripping the audience. This was particularly apparent in the dream-like states of Sonny’s imagination, where dialogue became echoed and ambient sounds ever-immersive. The overall tightness of Wonder Boy was mesmerising; with tiny minute detail being executed by all of the cast with precision and accuracy.

Agbangbe’s rendition of Sonny was impressively well-found and demonstrated how watchable and gifted he is as an actor. He really showed us how much Sonny’s mother meant to him and how anger is Sonny’s go-to emotion. His accomplice Captain Chatter, seamlessly blended sign language with mime, the exactitude of his movements was awe-inspiring. Roshi, provided brilliant moments of comedy, while having a touching character arc. The eccentric, farce-like Fish brought a comedic level, too, while Murrain’s interpretation of Mum helped to bring Sonny’s emotions out. Scott’s Wainwright superbly presented the deep humanity of teachers. You could feel that audience really resonated with her as a character.

The production values of Wonder Boy – from writing to acting quality to direction, lighting and sound – were magnificently high. It’s an important, unpatronising and downright entertaining coming-of-age story that works wonders at grasping its target audience as well as branching out to wider groups.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

★★★★★

“an electrifying mix of tradition and tragedy, with the flashes of humour searing through it like bolts of lightning”

Towards the end of the first act of “Fiddler on the Roof”, the sun is gently sinking behind the trees of Regent’s Park and candlelight casts its quivering, magical glow across the stage. A lone fiddler plays the opening bars of the achingly beautiful wedding song, ‘Sunrise, Sunset’. When we reach the bittersweet and hypnotic strains of the chorus, it is as though the number was written for this very moment: for this one particular sunset shared by a thousand people beneath a clear, unifying sky. It is one of many instants that make Jordan Fein’s current staging of “Fiddler on the Roof” one to remember for a long time.

When Sholem Aleichem’s “Tevye’s Daughters: Collected Stories” was first published in Yiddish at the dawn of the twentieth century, he was praised for the naturalness of his characters’ speech and the accuracy of his portrayal of life in the Shtetels of Eastern Europe. His writings combined cheerfulness in the face of adversity with the tragedy of the fate of the societies and their traditions. He probably had no idea that it would one day spawn one of the most successful and highly acclaimed musicals. Revived many times over the half century since its premiere, never before has it reflected the true nature of Aleichem’s writing with such accuracy and sensitivity. The creative elements of Jordan Fein’s interpretation come together in an electrifying mix of tradition and tragedy, with the flashes of humour searing through it like bolts of lightning.

The story centres on Tevye (Adam Dannheisser), the milkman in the village of Anatevka who is trying to cling onto his Jewish traditions as the outside world encroaches upon his family’s and the villagers’ lives. Not only that, but he is also up against his rebellious and progressive daughters who question the conventions, shunning the idea of arranged marriages; choosing instead to marry for love. The highly charged yet affectionate subversiveness of his daughters, however, is nothing compared to the dark shadow of the Imperial Russian pogroms rapidly approaching.

Tom Scutt’s imaginative set looms large over the action. A wheatfield uprooted from the ground, wrenched upwards in an arc exposing the name of the village embossed deep into the earth like an indelible stamp. Times are changing but the heritage runs deep. Beneath the canopy the orchestra is visible, the ensemble cast rarely leave the stage and the leading players watch from the sidelines when not in their own scenes. The community spirit is captured before a word is spoken (or sung). Nick Lidster’s clear-cut sound lends fragility to the solo numbers alongside the power of the rousing choruses of the ensemble. Julia Cheng’s choreography conjures a series of grand tableaux, like fine art in real life animation – meticulous yet shapeshifting: the comedy of ‘The Dream’ drifting into a macabre nightmare, or the rousing joy of ‘The Wedding’ that sinks into sinister violence as the Tsar’s officers intrude.

Adam Dannheisser, as Tevye, shifts superbly between the darkness and the light. A dominant figure yet dominated by the women in his life, he brings out the inherent comedy in the script with a true glint in his eye. A standout performance, but one of many; including Lara Pulver, as his wife Golde who really pulls the strings, along with Liv Andrusier’s feisty Tzeitel and Georgia Bruce’s pocket-rocket portrayal of Hodel. These strings snap when it comes to Chava, whose desire for marriage outside the Jewish faith is a line Tevye will not cross. Hannah Bristow adds poignancy with some evocative clarinet playing, endowing her character with a significance almost as symbolic as the eponymous ‘fiddler’ (the virtuosic Raphael Papo).

The pulse of the piece is the score. Jerry Bock’s music and Sheldon Harnick’s lyrics have gained fame and familiarity over time, but the company inject fresh individuality into the songs. Full of imagery they range from intimate to anthemic, from the major to the minor, backed by the twelve-piece orchestra. The emotional impact of the music never fails to stab, and then soothe the heart, culminating in an aching finale that feels global yet is inseparable from its ethnic origins. This is musical theatre at its heartfelt best.

Tag Archives: Aideen Malone

WONDER BOY

★★★★

UK Tour

WONDER BOY at the Theatre Royal Stratford East

★★★★

“Cookson’s inventive style of directing is – as ever – capturing, stimulating and entertaining”

WONDER BOY at the Theatre Royal Stratford East then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 15th October 2024

by Curtis Dean

Photography by Steve Tanner

Previously reviewed at this venue:

ABIGAIL’S PARTY | ★★★★ | September 2024

NOW, I SEE | ★★★★ | May 2024

CHEEKY LITTLE BROWN | ★★★½ | April 2024

THE BIG LIFE | ★★★★★ | February 2024

BEAUTIFUL THING | ★★★★★ | September 2023

WONDER BOY

WONDER BOY

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

★★★★★

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

★★★★★

“an electrifying mix of tradition and tragedy, with the flashes of humour searing through it like bolts of lightning”