STEREOPHONIC

Duke of York’s Theatre

★★★

“when it does come together, the result is musical magic”

Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 documentary film, ‘Let It Be’, used two film cameras that rolled from the moment the first Beatle appeared each day and continued recording until the last one had left. It wasn’t the first film of its kind, and it certainly hasn’t been the last. But it was appraised for its fly-on-the-wall glimpses into the dynamics and tensions that would lead to the band’s break-up. But criticised, too, for its indulgence. Such exercises can indeed be dull and draggy and are often only rescued by the subjects’ celebrity and enjoyed by the fans. It is therefore quite a risk to construct a fictitious band, give it the same treatment, and then unleash it onto a theatre audience as a three hour play with music.

“Stereophonic” follows an unnamed British-American rock band on the cusp of superstardom as they struggle to record their new album. Set in the mid-seventies, it takes place solely within the confines of a recording studio in California. The time and place are both beautifully evoked by David Zinn’s nostalgically perfect set complete with its working reel-to-reel deck and analogue desk. Enver Chakartash’s choice of costume is equally in tune with the post-hippy, West-coast vibe. The band has a strong resemblance to Fleetwood Mac, not necessarily in appearance but in its line up and relationships within. A lawsuit filed by the author of the Fleetwood Mac memoir, which was settled out of court, didn’t dampen the play’s success on Broadway last year, breaking the record for the most Tony Award nominations.

There is no getting away from the uncanny comparisons to the real-life band. In writer David Adjmi’s thinly veiled counterpart we follow the shenanigans of married couple bassist Reg (Zachary Hart) and keyboardist/vocalist Holly (Nia Towle); longtime partners guitarist/vocalist Peter (Jack Riddiford) and singer Diana (Lucy Karczewski); and drummer Simon (Chris Stack). It is quite a long time before we get to sample some of the music they are making, composed by Will Butler – former member of the indie rock band Arcade Fire. It takes a long time for anything to happen. In fact, the play takes a long time. Period. Or rather, full stop – in honour of the three-to-two majority of British members in the band. The performances, however, do allow us to get to know the characters quite swiftly. Riddiford plays the control freak who surreptitiously adopts the role of producer and is abusive to his bandmates and his partner, Diana. Karczewski’s performance as Diana is the most gripping, as she pieces together her confidence despite Peter’s damaging swipes, eventually conquering all and outgrowing the collective success by securing a lucrative solo contract. Hart’s Reg epitomises the coke-addled bassist who is more interesting in his brief flashes of sobriety than his shouty, shallow jibes. Towle’s Holly is torn between rejecting and accepting her husband’s behaviour, finding solace in her music and her friendship with Diana. In the midst is Stacks as the drummer, Simon, not just the backbeat to the band but the backbone to the line-up. Peacemaker and therapist, but even so, not averse to occasionally throwing his own tantrums.

It is a world of booze, cocaine, coffee and cigarettes. Tempers fray frequently (too frequently), but everyone is exhausted by the recording sessions that constantly creep into the early hours. We occasionally feel the same. The stop-start frustrations in the sound booth often cut short the beautiful moments of the music. And inside jokes can outstay their welcome. How long does it really take to tune a snare drum? We are furiously willing the actors along in their attempts to settle artistic differences – but when it does come together, the result is musical magic. Butler’s compositions perfectly suit the setting and are beautifully performed by the cast. Both Karczewski and Towle have the voices that can easily give Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie a run for their money.

No recording studio can function without the engineers. Eli Gelb and Andrew R. Butler are Grover and Charlie, the ill-fated, tech-wizards at the console who are often the uncredited heroes of the day. In this respect, Gelb and Butler are the saviours of the show too. A breath of fresh air, they provide the comic relief that is much needed, and also the most memorable and believable characters. Hilariously absurd but in tune with the precariousness of their position. Dismissive of the egos they are working with but knowing how to pitch their servility just right to keep their jobs. Until they’ve had enough, that is.

There is no denying that this is a microscopic and detailed look at the blood, sweat and tears of genius. Art isn’t easy. It takes time. “Stereophonic” certainly latches onto that requirement. A literal translation of the drawn-out process of making an album. There are moments of pure genius in this play, but they are buried under the weight of self-indulgence and multiple takes.

STEREOPHONIC

Duke of York’s Theatre

Reviewed on 14th June 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Marc Brenner

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BARCELONA | ★★★★ | October 2024

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE | ★★★★ | February 2024

BACKSTAIRS BILLY | ★★★★ | November 2023

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING | ★★★★ | February 2023

Stereophonic

★★★★★

“the whole show has the feel of a classic, like it has been around for ever, yet it still glows with a freshness and streetwise modernism”

The move from an off-West End theatre into the West End inevitable comes with risks and expectations. Even if it follows a sell-out run, such as enjoyed by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan’s “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” last year at Kiln Theatre. But these two writers have successfully carried a show across London without dropping a crumb, keeping an already perfect concoction fully intact. For anyone who saw it in its smaller setting, the fear that it may have lost its heart and its intimacy in transit is immediately quashed. For anyone who hasn’t seen it before, it is a slice of the West End that is mouth-wateringly irresistible.

The two strangers in question are Dougal (Sam Tutty) and Robin (Dujonna Gift). Dougal is in New York for a whirlwind thirty-six hours, having flown in for the wedding of his father who abandoned him before he was born. Robin, the sister of the bride, has been given the thankless task of meeting him at the airport. Dougal is bubbling with puppy-dog elation, excited at the prospect of meeting his dad and of being in ‘The Big Apple’. He lives in a dreamworld; a world of hope that he has built from the many films he has watched. Robin exists in a land of cynicism, tethered to reality by the ghosts of past, present and future. They are chalk and cheese.

On the surface we are in Rom-com territory. But this unique musical makes us think again. It pays homage to the genre, but subverts it with affection and stunning inventiveness. Barne and Buchan – the writers of the book, music and lyrics – are childhood friends who have grown up together through music. And it shows. Amazingly they wrote it before either had been to New York, which is what probably gives it its magical quality, viewing the city like it’s a mythical land of ‘Oz’. Yet beneath the fairy-tale stardust is a character driven story that is funny, natural and heart-warming.

“Tutty can cast a laugh-out-loud one-liner and wrap it around a tear-jerking anecdote with worldly skill”

The show is chock-a-block with standout musical numbers. Yet still there is more than enough dialogue, giving the two actors plenty to chew on, and to showcase their formidable acting skills. Their range, which can rake up many emotions, matches their vocal versatility. From the opening, crowd-pleasing overture, ‘New York’, we get an instant picture of the two personalities. Sam Tutty’s Dougal is intensely irritating but insanely vulnerable and gorgeous. Tutty can cast a laugh-out-loud one-liner and wrap it around a tear-jerking anecdote with worldly skill. His brash, ingenuous shell is dangerously fragile. Dujonna Gift, as Robin, is the antithesis of the American Dream, hard yet vulnerable, and cannot seem to shake off her nightmares – the latest of which has arrived in the form of her prospective nephew-in-law. They initially clash, but the sparks that fly are hot enough to weld them together.

Through the songs they bond – at first reluctantly. ‘On the App’ is a sensational staccato number that showcases the clever lyrics that run through the show. Like many of the songs it is rhapsodic in nature, the distinct rhythms giving way to a smooth, flowing chorus. Act Two opener, ‘The Hangover Duet’ is similarly eclectic. ‘The Argument’, with its semi-spoken, urban rap, is delivered with precision timing by Gift and Tutty. The delivery and lyrical content of the songs are razor sharp, often cutting open heartrending and bitter reveals. ‘Under the Mistletoe’, a gorgeous parody of the seasonal hits that crowd the airwaves every year, rises above pastiche as it mocks its source material while moulding itself into an instant classic of its own. In fact, the whole show has the feel of a classic, like it has been around for ever, yet it still glows with a freshness and streetwise modernism. Throw in a sumptuous ballad – Tutty’s ‘Dad’ or ‘About to Go In’. Or Gift’s ‘This Year’ and ‘He Doesn’t Exist’ – and you have a score that lifts the heart and raises the audience to its feet.

Tim Jackson’s lively production sets the action on a revolve that circles Soutra Gilmour’s ingenious set of piles of greyed-out suitcases that open and close to reveal the various locations, props, and the surprises and secrets of our protagonists. And at the centre are Tutty and Gift, a pair whose chemistry fills the air with fizzing electricity. “Two Strangers” (as the title is lovingly shortened to) is part musical, part movie, part fairy-tale, part dream. But wholly unmissable.

Tag Archives: Hazel Holder

STEREOPHONIC

★★★

Duke of York’s Theatre

STEREOPHONIC

Duke of York’s Theatre

★★★

“when it does come together, the result is musical magic”