THAT BASTARD, PUCCINI!

Park Theatre

★★★★★

“Do not miss this show – it is a masterpiece”

What does it mean to be an artist? Is it an occupation or a way of life? In James Inverne’s triumphant new play, That Bastard, Puccini! (directed by Daniel Slater), we meet two great Italian composers of the 19th century and get an insight into what might have been their motivations – and sacrifices – to not only create, but to be crowned the best. The result is a witty and deeply moving piece of theatre that celebrates artistry.

Puccini (Sebastien Torkia) and Leoncavallo (Alasdair Buchan) live in Milan at a time when composers are all trying to claim the spot as “the new Verdi”. When Puccini filches Leoncavallo’s idea to write an opera inspired by Henri Murger’s novel Scènes de la vie de Bohème (Scenes of Bohemian Life), they enter a public race to see who can complete their opera first in what will later be known as the “Battle of the Bohèmes”. What’s remarkable about this show is how seamlessly the text, directing, design and acting work together to establish a unique mode of performance. The characters themselves know they are in a play to present significant moments from the rivalry to the audience. It’s a bold but brilliant choice by Inverne and Slater, supported with beautiful costume and set by Carly Brownbridge and exquisite lighting by Katy Morison. Here, the stage becomes a space that deposits the composers’ public competition alongside their private pressures.

The show starts in a living room with an enraged Leoncavallo telling his wife, Berthe (Lisa-Anne Wood) that Puccini has stolen his idea. Under a bright spotlight, Puccini enters to eavesdrop on their discussion and occasionally offer his own input to the audience – Leoncavallo and Berthe cannot see him. Puccini barks protests and throws his hands up in defence to the audience until Leoncavallo turns to greet him and the spotlight on Puccini goes off – NOW he has entered the room. And the sweeping destruction of the fourth wall continues. A great moment is where Puccini turns to Berthe and asks her to momentarily play his wife. “There are only three of us! Then you can go back to being Berthe.”, Puccini urges her. Through similar dramatics, the characters present other key players in the story. Torkia is mesmerising as Puccini. He is deliberate with every look, gesture and spoken word. He turns the simple act of sitting down into a grand event with the sharp flick of his coat tails and tenacious crossing of the legs.

The living room is a storytelling apparatus where multiple spaces can exist at once. The actors rearrange furniture to create a café or high street, supported with a smooth shift in sound (Yvonne Gilbert). The red curtain doubles as the proscenium arch of an opera house. And Puccini and Leoncavallo often shoo each other away from the piano with a sarcastic “Do you mind?”. The intention behind setting all the exterior spaces against the domestic backdrop of a living room visually reinforces how the artists’ rivalry invited trouble into their home lives. With the time crunch, you can feel their urgency throughout. For one composer, the race is thrilling – something he can feed off to create his music. For the other, it’s a potential career disaster. Both artists will persist. As Puccini repeatedly says, “The art always comes first”.

That Bastard, Puccini! is a thoughtful play that captures the thrills and challenges of the creative process. It is an existential exploration of how artists can be consumed by their work and what they are willing sacrifice to become one of the greats. Do not miss this show – it is a masterpiece.

THAT BASTARD, PUCCINI!

Park Theatre

Reviewed on 15th July 2025

by Lara van Huyssteen

Photography by David Monteith-Hodge

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

OUR COSMIC DUST | ★★★ | June 2025

OUTPATIENT | ★★★★ | May 2025

CONVERSATIONS AFTER SEX | ★★★ | May 2025

FAREWELL MR HAFFMANN | ★★★★ | March 2025

ONE DAY WHEN WE WERE YOUNG | ★★★ | March 2025

ANTIGONE | ★★★★★ | February 2025

CYRANO | ★★★ | December 2024

BETTE & JOAN | ★★★★ | December 2024

GOING FOR GOLD | ★★★★ | November 2024

THE FORSYTE SAGA | ★★★★★ | October 2024

THAT BASTARD

★★★

“a beautiful hidden gem that is perfectly suited for the festive season”

We all know the story of Cinderella. Everyone roots for her reunion with the prince – and her glass slipper. JM Barrie’s lesser-known play, A Kiss For Cinderella, tells the story of a kind hearted but delusional cleaning lady in WW1 London who believes that she is the real-life Cinderella, destined to marry The Prince of Wales. This new production, adapted and directed by Bethany Sharp, has many good ideas and a wonderful cast. At this point, the show is short of a slipper and could benefit from further exploration to give it that fairy tale flare.

The play is funny, with credit to Barrie’s writing and Sinthu Bhairavi’s delightful performance as Cinderella. Bhairavi’s portrayal is intelligent, playful and endearing. She captures Cinderella’s naivety and insanity without turning her into a caricature, allowing the audience to see why the policeman (Matthew Lyon) is falling in love with her. The policeman meets Cinderella at the home of Mr. Bodie, Cinderella’s employer, who is beautifully played by Simon Balcon. The policeman becomes suspicious of Cinderella’s interest in the German language and follows her home, where he discovers she’s hiding two European refugee children. They too are caught up in Cinderella’s fantasy that she will be invited to meet the prince.

The story, which is more than a century old, explores themes which remain relevant today: War, immigration, poverty and how we cope with harsh realities. Unfortunately, Sharp’s adaptation of this political dramedy, with Steven Shawcroft as assistant director, is missing the creative risk and tenacity to dig into it. The costumes (Stephanie Schreiter) in the dream scene are clever and imaginative, aiding the audience in understanding that this is Cinderella’s hallucination. However, a lack of attention to detail at times undermine her thoughtful designs. There’s no need for an actor’s trousers to be falling down only because he wasn’t given a belt. The same issue presents itself with sound design. There is some use of sound to give context or ease transitions, but most scenes (such as the ballroom scene) feel too quiet, causing the actors to work extra hard to keep the energy from dropping. Tiaras off to them, they actually do a valiant job!

Sharp shows a clear understanding of directing a show in the round. The blocking is dynamic, and the actors have excellent awareness of the audience. However, the once off dramatic opening of the double doors, only to reveal the theatre’s terrace, feels excessive and out of sorts with the otherwise sensible use of the space. At this point Cinderella is passed out “in the snow”, centre stage. By revealing the outside world to the audience when we are meant to believe that Cinderella is near death in the freezing cold, the integrity of the performance space becomes compromised. If Sharp and Shawcroft found some link between the story and the abrupt reminder that we are in a theatre, the sensational moment could have worked. However, there is no follow-through and as an audience member you don’t know what to do with this extra information in relation to the play.

A Kiss For Cinderella by JM Barrie is a beautiful hidden gem that is perfectly suited for the festive season. Sharp can be applauded for recognising the play’s potential and giving it a moment in the spotlight. This show promises praiseworthy acting and fun moments for an overall charming Christmas story.

Tag Archives: Lara van Huyssteen

THAT BASTARD, PUCCINI!

★★★★★

Park Theatre

THAT BASTARD, PUCCINI!

Park Theatre

★★★★★

“Do not miss this show – it is a masterpiece”