★★

“the prophesy of doom should be more inherent in the performances rather than the dressing”

There is no denying that “White Rose: The Musical” comes to the stage with a pertinency that it may not have held when it first premiered Off-Broadway a year ago. Its powerful premise is built around a group of young activists defying an authoritarian regime – one in which rights are stolen, one by one, under a state system presided over by criminals. The setting is, however, Munich in 1943 and the musical focuses on a group of students who stood up to Hitler. They put their lives on the line as they formed the White Rose resistance movement to challenge oppression and propaganda, distributing leaflets at immense risk to themselves. There are echoes of Hans Fallada’s 1947 novel ‘Every Man Dies Alone’ (adapted into the 2016 feature film ‘Alone in Berlin’), and the complexity of the real-life narrative offers a goldmine of raw material. Brian Belding’s book chips away at the surface without really getting its hands dirty; the result being a show that lacks depth, peopled by similarly shallow characters.

At its heart are siblings Hans (Tobias Turley) and Sophie (Collette Guitart) Scholl. Hans is the overprotective brother, ashamed of his former allegiance to the Hitler Youth. Sophie spends much time resisting her brother’s safeguarding nature – until she eventually persuades him to accept and join in with her cause. The dialogue treats the whole affair like a high school romp, and we never get a sense of danger, despite shadowed, moody SS officers occasionally watching over them. A side plots involves Lila (Charley Robbie) who runs a print shop and helps with the printing of the leaflets. A young Nazi officer, Frederick Fischer (Ollie Wray) spends a lot of time with the oppositionists. Being an old schoolmate of Hans and ex-lover of Sophie’s, he also spends much time in a state of confusion, repeatedly removing and replacing his swastika armband. Such meandering motives are indicative of Belding’s book and lyrics and Natalie Brice’s music. The score belongs to another show entirely. Led by an even mix of guitar chugging, mid-tempo pop and searing ballads, it is jarringly detached from the setting and from the themes of the story. Following each number there is a palpable dip in energy, during which the dialogue never matches the passion of the singing.

Director Will Nunziata fares as well as he can with the stuttering structure of the narrative but suffers from a lack of variation in character. There is little build up to the symbolic and climactic gesture of hurling leaflets out into the audience: an act of defiance that mirrors the real life-threatening events (Hans and Sophie flung them from the balcony onto their fellow students). The horrific events the show presents are ill-served by simplistic exposition that dampens the emotional clout. The performances are solid but miss the trick of reaction. Often – particularly during the solo musical numbers – the onstage cast seem to be assessing an audition piece at the end of a long day.

Despite an overall lack of presence, we are occasionally drawn into the characters’ plight. But the hook is not strong enough for us to make the plunge. There are moments when the depth and the gravity is glimpsed, and Justin Williams’ evocative design sets the tone, depicting a ravaged Munich, along with Alex Musgrave’s suggestive lighting. But the prophesy of doom should be more inherent in the performances rather than the dressing. This story should definitely be told – it is not just a poignant reminder of the past, but an urgent alarm call that the past has a habit of repeating itself. Unlike its protagonists – the show seems unsure whether to deliver its message. Or whether to be entertainment. The two can (and do) easily co-exist, but “White Rose: The Musical” doesn’t find that harmony.

YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN at Upstairs at the Gatehouse

★★

“The show is essentially a series of vignettes lifted from the beloved comic strip. Some of them short, some long, but most of them missing the mark”

On the eve of Valentine’s Day in 2000, the final original ‘Peanuts’ comic strip appeared in newspapers across the world, one day after the death of its creator Charles M. Schulz. It featured Snoopy sitting on top of his doghouse with a typewriter, reflecting on Schulz’s last words in the form of a retirement letter. Floating just above Snoopy’s head were a few thought bubbles containing images; dying flashbacks of moments from the lives of Charlie Brown and his gang. It is signed off with the words “… how can I ever forget them”.

How can anyone ever forget them?

It was written in his will that no further ‘Peanuts’ cartoons could be published after his death. Schulz did, however, consider other media separate from the comic strip. Therefore, feature films and television series have proliferated and, inevitably, a musical or two have popped up. Most notably “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner. The origins of this musical go back to the early 1960s when Gesner wrote a handful of songs based on the characters. With no real plans, he sent a demo to Schulz who gave permission for him to properly record them, and they then morphed into the musical that opened on off-Broadway in 1967. Thirty years later, composer Andrew Lippa added extra music and lyrics (with additional dialogue by Michael Mayer), but the stage production still retained the feel of a ‘concept album’.

Amanda Noar’s current revival at Upstairs at the Gatehouse follows suit. The show is essentially a series of vignettes lifted from the beloved comic strip. Some of them short, some long, but most of them missing the mark. It can be challenging for an adult actor to play young children, but Noar has made the fatal mistake of allowing her cast to overact rather than simplify and heighten. Shrieking and running about replace the deadpan, throwaway introspection that is often required from the gorgeous words that have been offered to them on a plate. The cast are working hard at recreating six of the beloved characters: Charlie Brown and his sister Sally, Snoopy the dog, toy piano prodigy Schroeder, and siblings Linus and Lucy. The relationships are well established, particularly that of Schroeder and Lucy’s unrequited love for him. Troy Yip, as the serious Beethoven fan, captures the hunched introspection as he focuses on his miniature baby-grand and little else. Momentarily breaking away, Yip charms us with the jazzy number ‘Beethoven Day’ to celebrate the great composer’s birthday.

Oliver Sidney’s Snoopy is a bit of a lounge lizard, with velvet smooth singing voice to match. The ensemble cast all have accomplished vocals, if often instructed to deliver jarring off-key moments. This would work for a drama where the lack of vocal ability is in character; but it seems an odd choice for a musical. Millie Robbins taps into the eccentricities of Sally Brown but again the precocious intelligence is marred by mistaking innocence for puerility. Similarly so for Eleanor Fransch’s crabby Lucy. Overall, the characters lack the dimension of performance, relying on the childish mannerisms without the compassion shining through.

You don’t need to physically resemble the comic strip characters to convince in the role, but Jordan Broatch’s Charlie Brown could not be further removed. That shouldn’t matter, but we cannot quite suspend our disbelief if the complexity of these seemingly simple characters doesn’t translate from Schulz’s page onto the stage. Jacob Cornish, though, does have the physicality for the thumb-sucking Linus. The deceptive simplicity does come across in the score. On the surface it is pastiche, and a touch saccharine yet is lyrically clever and well observed. It weaves in and out of the narrative but at times the five-piece band, led by musical director Harry Style, appear as apologetic as the titular character of this musical.

Schulz’s genius lay in his ability to keep his well-known characters fresh enough to attract new followers and to keep his current audience wanting more, which he sustained for half a century. The ‘Peanuts Gang’ still continues to entertain and inspire today with his fanciful, observational, bittersweet humour. Unfortunately, the essence of his vision doesn’t quite make it all the way up Highgate Hill for this production which, although delivers with passion, does little to enhance or celebrate the legacy.

Tag Archives: Millie Robins

WHITE ROSE

★★

Marylebone Theatre

WHITE ROSE

Marylebone Theatre

★★

“the prophesy of doom should be more inherent in the performances rather than the dressing”

WHITE ROSE

Marylebone Theatre

Reviewed on 4th March 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Marc Brenner

Previously reviewed at this venue:

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANNE FRANK | ★★★★ | October 2024

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR | ★★★★ | May 2024

THE DREAM OF A RIDICULOUS MAN | ★★★★ | March 2024

A SHERLOCK CAROL | ★★★★ | November 2023

THE DRY HOUSE | ★★½ | April 2023

WHITE ROSE

WHITE ROSE

WHITE ROSE

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown

★★

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN at Upstairs at the Gatehouse

★★

“The show is essentially a series of vignettes lifted from the beloved comic strip. Some of them short, some long, but most of them missing the mark”