★★★

“an intriguing concept and one that will probably divide audiences, and lead to some interesting discussions”

It’s a tall order to expect an audience, while listening to a show’s musical number, to appreciate that certain lyrics are anagrams of the following line. Or that certain letters within those lyrics, if traced onto a sheet of paper, form a picture. The programme does devote a few pages of instructions for this lexical trickery, and often the words are projected high onto the back wall, but rather than being drawn into this distraction, the overall tendency is to just let it go over our heads. Nevertheless, at least we now know what an acrostic, or a lipogram is (google it).

The title suggests that all is not what it seems, and indeed there is an exaggerated surreal quality to Henry Parkman Biggs’ “Trompe L’oeil”. And like the artists it professes to emulate (Dali, Magritte, Escher…) there is more to see the longer you look. But rather than being given the freedom to make our own interpretations of the abstract mayhem, the message is very clear and one sided. We know where Biggs’ sympathies lie, even if we are never sure what story he is trying to tell.

There are many strands to the show – two that predominate. We have the rise and fall of Donald Trump, interwoven with what the poster tagline describes as ‘a queer love story’. The two are connected but in the same way that bedding plants and weeds might smother each other if left unattended. At the top of the show, Trump makes a deal with Vladimir Putin, after which Putin quite literally has Trump by the balls. Putin orchestrates Trump’s rise to power but only on the condition he can attach a remote-controlled clamp to his genitals which he tightens every time Trump strays away from his master plan. Both characters are larger than life and Sarah Louise Hughes’ Bond villain Putin (referred to as ‘The Imitator’) spars well with Emer Dineen’s cartoon buffoon Trump. Meanwhile two lovebirds Rip (a Republican in denial, played by Alex Wadham) and staunch Democrat Demi (Dominic Booth) eke out a ‘will-they-won’t-they’ scenario, complicated by the fact that Rip is implausibly unaware of Demi’s true gender.

“The ambition has to be admired, and the pace is frenetic, anarchic and chaotic”

Less a musical, more of a song cycle, the musical numbers intermix its influences, from cabaret to rap, to disposable pop. Delivered with high energy and soaring skill by the talented, fine-voiced ensemble they are catchy and instantly familiar. Although there is a tenuous thread connecting them, each number could be a stand-alone work in itself; although in a live setting we haven’t the time or inclination to analyse and pore over the intricacies. Like the overall concept, it is all just too clever for its own good and a touch self-indulgent.

The ambition has to be admired, and the pace is frenetic, anarchic and chaotic. The cast rise to the physical and vocal challenges with ease. It is larger than life, and totally bonkers. Yet despite the high entertainment value we are left with little to grip on to. The wider appeal is therefore constricted, which is a shame as there are some gems of observation, humour and satire to be found. But it is difficult to establish what this piece is trying to achieve. And it is a bit of a contradiction: it is bold, brash and funny but at the same time requires prior knowledge of the author’s writing technique. In some ways it appears progressive, yet it closes with the rather simplistic message that “we can disagree peacefully”.

The allusions to illusion in “Trompe L’oeil” are misleading – the show doesn’t quite match its title. But it is an intriguing concept and one that will probably divide audiences, and lead to some interesting discussions. Let’s hope they can ‘disagree peacefully’.

DEATH NOTE – THE MUSICAL IN CONCERT at the London Palladium

★★★★

“When the ensemble cast sing together the effect is mesmerising”

It is twenty years since “Death Note” stormed into the public consciousness, originally serialised in weekly instalments in Shõnen Jump, Japan’s most popular and iconic Manga magazine. I have to confess that this global phenomenon passed me by, but I humbly accept being in a minority bracket, judging by the crowds dressed in unconcealed enthusiasm at the London Palladium. The story was originally a bit of a risk for its publishers, straying from the tried-and-tested formula of intense action catering to an audience of mainly adolescent males. But it worked, and having been adapted into various media, including a US produced Netflix film, video and card-trading games and various sequels, the musical adaptation is the next obvious step.

Composer Frank Wildhorn shared my ignorance (I prefer innocence) of the Manga world when asked to turn it into a musical, but you’d never think it. Spurred on by his son who urged him to “drop everything and do this – because it will make you cool”, Wildhorn immersed himself in the source material. The end product is a score that redefines the word ‘cool’. A combination of electronica rock with an orchestral strength; it is both triumphant but also a lamentation. Bombastic but never overpowering, it reflects the atmospheric setting with a dark energy. Despite the subtle Japanese influences (perhaps too subtle), the production has the overall feel of an American rock concept album.

The concept of “Death Note” is fantastical, yet serious. High-school prodigy Light Yagami (Joaquin Pedro Valdes) is dismayed by the failures of the justice system. Meanwhile, two ‘Shinigami’ – gods of death from an otherworldly, unspecified dimension – watch over and decide, for fun, to drop the eponymous ‘death note’ into the human world. Light is the one who picks it up, thereby being granted the supernatural power to kill anyone whose name he writes in the pages of the book. Far from being horrified at the prospect, he immediately grasps the opportunity to use it to wipe out anyone he deems immoral. The aim is to create a crime-free society. From this very dubious precedent, what ensues is a cat-and-mouse psychological thriller that explores the quite weighty subject of justice and vigilantism. Light’s self-belief blinds him, and his acolytes, to the supposition that isn’t he just as murderous as his victims? “Death Note” shies away from instructing us which way to think, though the Shakespearian ending gives a couple of nudges.

Being unfamiliar with the ‘Manga’ genre and its iconography and terminology is not necessarily a bar to the intricacies of the plot, although the second act requires you to be slightly more on your toes. The characters are well formed, even if occupying the same two dimensions of the original animation. Billed as a musical in concert, the dialogue is subsequently sparse, with Jack Murphy’s lyrics guiding us through the narrative. Jason Howland’s sumptuous orchestration is given full justice by Musical Director Chris Ma’s sixteen-piece band. It is a sonic binge, yet the vocal performances cut through with a clarity that displays the talent within the cast. When the ensemble cast sing together the effect is mesmerising, and each of the seven lead cast members has their moment to shine. Francis Mayli McCann, as Misa – the rock superstar in awe of Light’s misplaced taste for vengeance, has strength and versatility matched by pretty much everyone else. The richness of Adam Pascal’s Ryuk (the spirit – Shinigami – who sets it all in motion by dropping the death note into the world) is complemented beautifully by Aimie Atkinson’s Rem – the other Shinigami. Atkinson’s and McCann’s duet that opens Act Two is a moment that lingers long after curtain call.

Dean John Wilson, as Light’s nemesis – the enigmatic detective known simply as L, has the richest pickings of the dialogue, conveying some of the humour and dynamism that is lacking in the show. One presumes Ivan Menchell’s book has been cut back for the concert version. The full text would allow for more light and shade, and the implicit humour and pathos would be given a longer rein. There is a noticeable emotional detachment, and consequently there is nobody we are rooting for.

But for pure musical rapture and spectacle, this show is second to none. Every pitch perfect note resonates through the vast auditorium of the Palladium. It is monumental and memorable; but also sold out. I wouldn’t leave it long, though, to book for its transfer to the Lyric, Shaftesbury Avenue in September. Although something tells me that “Death Note” is in for a long life.

TROMPE L’OEIL at the The Other Palace

★★★

“an intriguing concept and one that will probably divide audiences, and lead to some interesting discussions”

“The ambition has to be admired, and the pace is frenetic, anarchic and chaotic”

TROMPE L’OEIL at the The Other Palace

Reviewed on 29th September 2023

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Danny Kaan

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Trompe L’Oeil

Trompe L’Oeil

DEATH NOTE – THE MUSICAL IN CONCERT at the London Palladium

★★★★

“When the ensemble cast sing together the effect is mesmerising”

DEATH NOTE – THE MUSICAL IN CONCERT at the London Palladium

Reviewed on 21st August 2023

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Mark Senior

More top rated shows reviewed this month:

Death Note

Death Note