★★★★★

“an invitation into a rare, sensual, and thought-provoking world”

Everything about this show is remarkable and enchanting. Director Paul Foster and choreographer Joanna Goodwin have created a production that is both visually stunning and emotionally resonant—a true triumph in modern musical theatre.

Based on the novel by Compton Mackenzie, Extraordinary Women transports us to the windswept and mysterious isle of Sirene, where a group of fiercely independent women attempt to imagine and build a life without men. It’s a story filled with irony, longing, and layers of identity, elevated by a strong creative vision and a superb ensemble cast.

The performances are nothing short of extraordinary. Sophie-Louise Dann dazzles in multiple roles, including one of the sirens. She brings nuance, wit, and warmth to each of her characters, particularly to Cleo, a talented pianist and one of the complex lovers of Rosalba. Rosalba is portrayed by the brilliant Amy Ellen Richardson, whose charisma on stage is magnetic. Her character is one you might love or hate, but Richardson’s masterful command of song, dance, and emotional range ensures you’re captivated every moment she’s on stage, and eagerly waiting for her return whenever she exits.

Equally commendable are the performances of the other sirens: Jasmine Kerr as the fiery and elegant Ligeia, Amira Matthews as the poetic and mysterious Sappho, and Monique Young as the alluring and sharp-witted Parthenope. Each brings something unique to the stage, contributing to the layered tapestry of characters living on Sirene.

The story unfolds primarily in a grand seaside villa, recently acquired by Aurora, the passionate and devoted lover of Rosalia. Aurora is portrayed with poise and emotional clarity by Caroline Sheen, who lends a grounded warmth to the character. As the summer wanes and the relationships among the women become increasingly tangled, the stakes rise and the show leans into its themes of love, loss, and reinvention.

Though the women shine throughout, special mention must be given to Jack Butterworth, who delivers five distinct roles with impressive versatility, timing, and flair. He provides essential transitions between scenes and tonal shifts, and his adaptability is one of the show’s secret weapons.

Visually, the production is breathtaking. The lighting design by Alex Musgrave is integral to the storytelling, creating a world that feels at once connected and disjointed, fluid and fractured, much like the emotions of the characters. The lighting guides the audience through dreamlike sequences and grounded moments alike, giving each scene its own emotional signature.

Musically, the show is underscored by an ethereal and melancholic motif, a lullaby drifting from a distant piano bar, played live by Sam Sommerfield and James William-Pattison. Their live music feels like a memory you can almost touch.

And then there are the costumes, particularly the sirens’, designed by Carla Joy Evans. They are a visual feast, evoking mythology, femininity, and rebellion, all at once. The effect is heightened by the ingenious set designed by Alex Marker, which captures the charm of a remote Mediterranean island, somewhere off the Gulf of Naples. Though the stage is modest in size, its impact is anything but small.

In the end, Extraordinary Women is more than just a musical, it’s an invitation into a rare, sensual, and thought-provoking world. With its stunning ensemble, unforgettable visuals, and haunting music, it lingers long after the final curtain.

A must-see.

LITTLE BROTHER

Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★

“It is certainly a story that must be told”

The cruel irony of Timberlake Wertenbaker’s play “Little Brother”, adapted from the Guinean writer, Ibrahima Balde’s memoir, is that Ibrahima was initially denied a visa by the Home Office to visit the United Kingdom so he could attend the opening night. They were “not satisfied… that you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit”. Fortunately, the decision has now been reversed, yet Wertenbaker poignantly inserted the statement of facts into the epilogue, neatly and affectingly rounding off the true-life story of the horrors of migration.

Ibrahima Balde’s story charts his journey across borders, deserts and seas from Guinea to mainland Europe on his quest to find his younger brother. In 2018, towards the end of his odyssey, he met writer and journalist Amets Arzallus Antia in the Basque country that borders France and Spain, and there the search for his brother turned into a ten-month search for the words that would convey his experiences. “My friend, life is not that easy to tell” Ibrahima said to Amets during their first encounter. Knowing that his tale is only one of countless others the world over makes it uneasy listening too.

This adaptation is a stark retelling of the facts. It avoids both sentimentality and lecturing. As a result, however, it lacks the emotional build up needed to fully bring home the horrors of the situation. It is only late in the day, when we feel that Ibrahima’s life is on the line, that we become fully invested in his plight. Only then does Blair Gyabaah (who plays Ibrahima – alongside a supporting cast of four who multi-role as the dozens of other characters) realise the dynamics and breadth of emotion needed to lift the account from narration into a drama. For the most part we are spoon fed the details in a journalistic fashion.

But what a journal it is. We get a fair bit of his background, growing up in a village in the West African country of Guinea, helping his father sell shoes at a street stall while dreaming of becoming a truck driver. Even from a young age, he always felt alone and far away from home, a state of mind heightened by the sudden death of his father. When his younger brother, Alhassane, disappears heading for Europe, Ibrahima leaves everything behind to try to find him and bring him back, risking his own life on his epic journey. We are shown the different customs, languages, landscapes and challenges. But each chapter is a stepping stone, and as we move on quickly to the next, we barely have time to get to know the other characters he meets along the way. The spectrum of life – the chasm between the best and the worst of humanity – gets flattened under the multitude of personalities that appear onstage, for sometimes just seconds at a time.

Gyabaah’s Ibrahima is the anchor; a modest performance, yet strong and holding up against the whirlwind of events. It seems at times that the actor is fighting Stella Powell-Jones’ directorial constraints as much as the cruel twists of fate his character endures, and we get the sense Gyabaah is aching to emote more. At the same time, though, we are left wondering if this is a deliberate ploy, to strip it of sensationalism, in a bid to convey how ubiquitous the struggles of migration are. This show doesn’t overwhelm us, but it does lift a veil to reveal the face of the seemingly nameless people we hear about in the news. In its own way “Little Brother” is a ‘must see’ show. It is certainly a story that must be told. In the closing moments, Ibrahima’s father appears as a ghost to tell him “Son, you must never think you’re the worst off… and you can never say, ‘I’m suffering more than anyone else’”. It takes a while to get there, but finally the heart and soul of the story achieves its poignancy. We learn second hand of the plight of his brother, but the strength of that blood bond that motivates Ibrahima throughout is delivered to us, first hand, with a powerful punch.

EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN

Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★★★

“an invitation into a rare, sensual, and thought-provoking world”

EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN

Jermyn Street Theatre

Reviewed on 25th July 2025

by Beatrice Morandi

Photography by Steve Gregson

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN

EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN

EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN

LITTLE BROTHER

Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★

“It is certainly a story that must be told”

LITTLE BROTHER

Jermyn Street Theatre

Reviewed on 21st May 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Steve Gregson

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Little Brother

Little Brother

Little Brother

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