A SONG OF SONGS at Park Theatre

★★★★

“The songs are pools of splendour we would happily bathe in for hours”

According to tradition, King Solomon wrote three books of the bible, the most famous of which is ‘Song of Songs’ (also known as ‘The Song of Solomon’) – a collection of erotic verse that, over time, has been interpreted literally and metaphorically. It is either an allegory for the relationship between God and his people, or a description of a romantic and sexual relationship between a man and a woman. It is apparent that Ofra Daniel, the force behind the musical play – “A Song of Songs” – is of the latter persuasion as she reinterprets the ancient Hebrew text, spinning her own eroticism on the timeless poetry and weaving it into an extraordinary and striking celebration of love, and music. Lush, passionate and sexy, it is a unique theatrical experience that fuses poetry, dance, music and storytelling.

Written, composed (with Lior Ben-Hur) and directed by Daniel, she also plays the narrator – Tirzah – a woman who is “organised differently”. A bittersweet tale of a woman consumed by desire for a lover she never meets. In an unsatisfying marriage to a fisherman, she starts to receive anonymous love letters from a secret admirer which awakens a deep longing in her. Her awakened sensuality turns into obsession until she is eventually known as the ‘crazy poet of love’, surrounded by the Women of Jerusalem who ostracise and envy her. While they obey Solomon’s musical refrain, ‘do not arouse love until it so desires’, for Tirzah it is already too late. She can never put it back to sleep.

Daniel’s performance is powerful and compelling, yet vulnerable and often allowing her to retreat into the shadows cast by the formidable supporting cast. This is in no way a one woman show. The onstage musicians, the dancers and the supporting roles are all on an equal footing, which lends a gorgeous harmony to a musical score that mixes Flamenco, Klezmer and the exotic sounds of the Middle East. The musicians often wander into the action. Daniel Gouly’s haunting, glissando clarinet and Amy Price’s melancholy violin can often be seen and heard dancing with the voices of the ensemble (Laurel Dougall, Rebecca Giacopazzi, Shira Kravitz and Ashleigh Schuman). The Gypsy King’s Ramón Ruiz is simply stunning on Spanish guitar, while multi-instrumentalist Ashley Blasse oozes charisma from behind their double bass. Ant Romero, on percussion, ties each strand of the musical styles into solid knots of rhythm.

The musicality is undoubtedly the star of the show. Whether or not the songs enhance the narrative is irrelevant. The songs are pools of splendour we would happily bathe in for hours. Matthew Woodyatt’s rich baritone adds depth and layers of strength onto the female dominated chorus, while Joaquin Pedro Valdes hovers between the two in an androgynous mid-range. Woodyatt is often accompanying the musicians on accordion and also takes over the narrative from Daniel, portraying the wronged husband with a masterful sensitivity. Valdes is the lover that Tirzah conjures from her heart to spend her life trailing through the streets searching for.

Will they ever meet? The story follows a cyclical path that kind of gives us the answer at the start as well as the end. As the twist is revealed to us, we feel like the story might be starting over. Even at two hours long we wouldn’t mind if that was the actual case. Instead, though, we have an upbeat refrain of the opening number. This is, ultimately, a celebration. There are warnings along the way, and we drift through many moods, enhanced by Aaron J Dootson’s ambient lighting, full of ingenious little tricks and innovations.

Tirzah is a woman who lived from one poem to another. A woman sick with love, crazy for love. Who has lost her way for love. Yet in the hands of Ofra Daniel she remains powerful, feminine, erotic and independent. Beneath the ‘crazy poet of love’ outer shell is a vivid embodiment of the human condition that is as old as the bible itself. “A Song of Songs”, describes itself as a musical play rather than a musical (despite boasting nearly twenty musical numbers). Whatever label you want to give it – it is a musical feast.

A SONG OF SONGS at Park Theatre

Reviewed on 14th May 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Pamela Raith

Previously reviewed at this venue:

SUN BEAR | ★★★ | April 2024

HIDE AND SEEK | ★★★★ | March 2024

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS | ★★★★ | February 2024

HIR | ★★★★ | February 2024

LEAVES OF GLASS | ★★★★ | January 2024

KIM’S CONVENIENCE | ★★★★ | January 2024

21 ROUND FOR CHRISTMAS | ★★★★ | December 2023

THE TIME MACHINE – A COMEDY | ★★★★ | December 2023

IKARIA | ★★★★ | November 2023

PASSING | ★★★½ | November 2023

THE INTERVIEW | ★★★ | November 2023

IT’S HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARDS US | ★★★★★ | September 2023

A SONG OF SONGS

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★★★★★

“The emotional stakes reach the treetops in the park. The magic shoots for the stars. It is innovative, funny, cheeky, camp and degenerate.”

I’ve never really been sure where Illyria was geographically, but walking away from Regent’s Park, as the moon rises and the lights twinkle through the greenery, the urge to pinpoint it on the map is great. It seems to be somewhere between Montenegro and Croatia. But what a fabulous holiday destination it would make. Not for the sun and the sea, mind. But the locals. According to Owen Horsley’s louche version of “Twelfth Night”, there’s a little harbour café, named after its eccentric owner, Olivia. Its décor as unprincipled as the people that gather there, full of debauchery, music, liquor and queerness. It is Olivia’s world. Played by the tremendous Anna Francolini, Olivia grandly presents herself, channelling Norma Desmond, veiled in black lace and bluesy piano chords in five-four time. Belting ballads and clutching her brother’s ashes, Francolini sets the tone. Loud in her grief, silent in her longing, and always self-mocking.

You just want to go there and while away the early hours with this motley crew. The bar has seen better days. And so has Sir Toby Belch. Michael Matus, as off-duty and off-his-head drag queen, is a loveably licentious Toby, smeared in campness and lipstick. Matthew Spencer’s Andrew Aguecheek is a foppish travelling salesman type. A sofa-crasher, teetering on the verge of outstaying his welcome. Anita Reynold’s Maria is on hand to out-mischief her mischievous colleagues, while Julie Legrand’s Feste is primed with wistful wisdom, ready to out-sing her hostess. Weaving himself into the throng is Malvolio, a deliciously prim Richard Cant with sinewy self-righteousness, flexing his indignation like a haughty schoolmistress.

The band of musicians add merriment and melancholy in equal measure. Late night jazz adds magic to the twilight while a saxophone cries to the moon. The intended queerness that Horsley is unearthing from Shakespeare’s text is less a celebration than an extra layer. What comes across more is the eccentricity and the camaraderie, the joie-de-vivre and the affectionate rivalry. Shipwrecked, and stumbling into this mayhem, Viola (the brilliantly sassy Evelyn Miller) surprisingly takes it all in her stride. Mind you, she has just run into the dashing Orsino (a thoughtful and commanding Raphael Bushay), so her mind is on other matters. Dressed as a boy – Cesario – she is reluctantly despatched to persuade Olivia of Orsino’s unrequited love. But damn it all – Olivia swoops out of her veil to pop her lusty eyes on the alluring amorousness that Cesario/Viola exudes.

Interestingly, the secondary plotline explores the unrequited love more convincingly. Antonio draws the short straw, always the one left alone at the end of the play. Nicholas Karimi is a potent symbol of loyalty, also subtly conveying the shadowed buds of love for Sebastian. Andro Cowperthwaite (a dead-ringer for Miller’s Viola), while returning the affection has the thankless task of being too easily seduced by Olivia. We never lose sympathy, but the haste with which the happy couples all come together is a flaw which dents our empathy. Similarly, the cruelty towards Malvolio fails to come across sufficiently, and his vow for revenge resembles a telling off in an unruly classroom. What is achieved, however, is a novel and refreshing sense of forgiveness, which steers us towards a finale steeped in affection and fellowship.

The emotional stakes reach the treetops in the park. The magic shoots for the stars. It is innovative, funny, cheeky, camp and degenerate. Again, if only this bar could be found in a holiday brochure. I’d be there like a shot. You just want to spend as much time as possible with these characters. Well – actually – you can do that by going to the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park. And I strongly urge you to do so.

A SONG OF SONGS at Park Theatre

★★★★

“The songs are pools of splendour we would happily bathe in for hours”

A SONG OF SONGS at Park Theatre

Reviewed on 14th May 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Pamela Raith

Previously reviewed at this venue:

A SONG OF SONGS

A SONG OF SONGS

TWELFTH NIGHT at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

★★★★★

“The emotional stakes reach the treetops in the park. The magic shoots for the stars. It is innovative, funny, cheeky, camp and degenerate.”

TWELFTH NIGHT at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Reviewed on 9th May 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Richard Lakos

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night