“This delighful soufflé of a play is a sure-fire hit”
The Mill at Sonning is a jewel of a theatre unlike any other. A picturesque and very derelict watermill was converted into a playhouse some 40 years ago and the same family run it to this day, serving up a sustaining combo of buffet dinner in the restaurant followed by good old-fashioned theatrical entertainment in the newly airconditioned 215 seat theatre. It’s little wonder audiences are so enthusiastic and loyal.
Neil Simon’s romantic comedy ‘Barefoot in the Park’ was a hit for Robert Redford when it opened on Broadway in 1963. Set in a flakey fifth floor apartment at the top of a New York brownstone, the play’s theme is young love and what happens when opposites attract.
Buttoned-up newbie attorney Paul Bratter (Jonny Labey, Eastenders’ Paul Coker) thinks that slipping into a less formal tie while he works on his legal papers is the perfect way to spend the evening. His wife of six days Corrie (Hannah Pauley) has other ideas. A boozy Albanian dinner setting up her mother with a Hungarian lothario (splendidly flamboyant James Simmons)? No problem. The cracks in this new relationship begin to show just as soon as the newly weds attempt to settle into their less than ideal new apartment.
Labey is well-cast in the role of Paul. He has excellent characterisation and delivery, and a fire-cracker turnaround in the final scene. Hannah Pauley fizzes with charm as his mismatched wife Corrie Bratter. Rachel Fielding as her mother has some scene-stealing moments as she has her own little epiphany in the second half. There’s a nicely delivered running gag about the inaccessibilty of the apartment and some witty repartee from Oliver Stanley as the repairman Harry Pepper.
This delighful soufflé of a play is a sure-fire hit for the Mill at Sonning. Great performances of some sassy dialogue, tight direction (Robin Herford), period outfits (Natalie Titchener) and a proper time machine of a set (Michael Holt). One happy audience guaranteed.
“It is enough just to be swept along with its energy and its silliness”
Thirty years ago Baz Luhrmann’s stage play, “Strictly Ballroom”, enjoyed a successful enough run in Sydney to be picked up and transformed into the film that helped make his name and shape his career. Although Luhrmann is still at the helm of the current stage incarnation that pretty much replicates the movie, he has stood back to let it be reinterpreted for the new audience. In the hands of director and choreographer Drew McOnie, some new trimmings are added to the otherwise faithful version of the original. And there’s the rub: this stage production inevitably cannot escape the comparisons (of which there have already been many) to the original film. But that is not the point.
Set in the cut-throat world of small town amateur ballroom dancing, the story focuses on Scott Hastings and his struggle to establish his personal style of dance on his way to win the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Dancing Championship. His steps are not “strictly ballroom”, and in his refusal to follow convention the surmounting obstacles threaten to crush his ambition. Cue ugly duckling, Fran, who is the only one who shares his passion. Totally predictable, it is nevertheless a gloriously magical show, full of the glitz and glamour you expect, but also a complete send up of that exact same glitz and glamour. Being a satire of itself you can forgive the sometimes over-the-top camp delivery and off-target humour.
Overall it is slightly off balance. There are a few too many lows between the highs, and some meaningless musical asides that steer the narrative off course. But these do not phase the cast who are uniformly strong. McOnie’s choreography is second to none which the entire company effortlessly pull off with their impeccable dance skills. Everything about the design is a delight, from Catherine Martin’s colourful and flamboyant costumes to Howard Hudson’s lighting, which make the show a real spectacle. It is a shame, though, that so few of the leads are given the opportunity to sing. Instead, star attraction Will Young monopolises the soundtrack of pop classics as he takes on the role of emcee – a curious device for this show, albeit a crowd pleasing one.
But what truly makes this production are the two leads. Jonny Labey, as Scott Hastings, moves like a panther yet can mix in the camp comedy with ease, and his charisma outshines the sequins on his jacket. Then there is Zizi Strallen who constantly lights up the entire stage. A compelling performer with a natural stage presence, she displays an outstanding talent for dancing and acting. The West End will surely be seeing a lot more of her.
The pair’s onstage chemistry undoubtedly gets you to engage in a production that is otherwise a touch hit and miss. But that may be because it defies categorisation. It is not exactly (deliberate avoidance of the synonym ‘strictly’ there) a musical, yet with plenty of electrifying routines and the powerfully tight sound of the onstage band, we are drawn in and we end up rooting for the characters. Whether or not you have seen the original film, the outcome is plainly obvious. But, as I said, that is not the point. It is enough just to be swept along with its energy and its silliness. Like Scott Hastings’ dance steps, this show flies against convention and should be applauded for that.
