Tag Archives: Nick Barstow

WILD ABOUT YOU

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Theatre Royal Drury Lane

WILD ABOUT YOU at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

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“It’s a long journey, but a highly entertaining one courtesy of the wonderful vocal performances”

There are two things that strike you about the world premiere of Chilina Kennedy’s (music and lyrics) and Eric Holmes’s (book) new musical, β€œWild About You”. The first is the inescapable fact that this is a stylish production, blowing onto our shores from across the pond with the confidence and swagger to head straight for Drury Lane. Picking up half a dozen of the finest voices in musical theatre, the performances alone claim the right to make the West End its first stop.

The second is the title. With the exception of a fairly throwaway number early on in the first act, it is very hard to work out why the writers opted for β€œWild About You”. Admittedly it has undergone a couple of name changes since its progression from an album recording to the stage, but they still don’t seem to have labelled this show correctly. Perhaps when the concept is more finely honed, and trimmed a little, they’ll find it. The musical is a bit of a chimera, its personality split down the middle with each side of interval exposing its own idiosyncrasies and influences.

At the centre of the story is Olivia, beautifully played by Rachel Tucker, who inexplicably wakes up in hospital with gaping holes in her memory. Aided by the duty nurse, Shae (a gorgeously camp and comedic performance from Todrick Hall), she embarks on the task of piecing together a messy past as her memories slowly gather shape. The more she tries to find herself, the more she discovers that that is pretty much what she’s been doing all her life. The flaws in her character echo the flaws in her story, and we therefore find it difficult to empathise with the self-obsession that afflicts her. As her tangled love life ricochets between husband Michael (Eric McCormack), artist Thomas (Oliver Tompsett) and on-off lover Jessica (Tori Allen-Martin), our sympathies diminish with each rebound.

 

 

The second act becomes a different show entirely following a twist that is as inexplainable as Olivia’s initial amnesia. Her memories are re-traced from the others’ perspectives and her son Billy (Jamie Muscato), now eighteen, turns the story on its head. β€˜It’s A Wonderful Life’ meets β€˜A Matter of Life and Death’ meats β€˜The Time Traveller’s Wife’ meets β€˜A Christmas Carol’ meets β€˜Before I Go to Sleep’. A touch too quirky for its own good, the matted storylines are eventually smoothed out into its glossy, if a little sentimental, finale.

It’s a long journey, but a highly entertaining one courtesy of the wonderful vocal performances, backed by musical director Nick Barstow’s ten-piece band. Justin Williams’ sleek and stylised set frames the piece with an intimacy that cleverly belies the vast space; mirrored by Nick Winston’s β€˜up-close and personal’ staging. Kennedy’s musical score wears it’s influences openly with its fine balance of belters and ballads. The dynamics are occasionally at odds with the narrative, particularly the impressive opening number into which Tucker pours her heart and soul. Maybe it needs to start smaller, allowing itself to grow naturally. Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a grand opening but similarly we wonder where it can go from here.

The show seems to have skipped a few steps in its evolution. Its success now lies in its shrinking and fine tuning before we can really get wild about it.

 


WILD ABOUT YOU at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Reviewed on 25th March 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Mark Senior

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

HANDEL’S MESSIAH: THE LIVE EXPERIENCE | β˜…β˜…β˜… | December 2022

WILD ABOUT YOU

WILD ABOUT YOU

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Unlimited: The Songs Of Stephen Schwartz

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Online via Thespie

Unlimited: The Songs Of Stephen Schwartz

Unlimited: The Songs Of Stephen Schwartz

Online via Thespie

Reviewed – 13th December 2020

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“All nine performers deliver fantastic performances that are a testament to their infectious love of musical theatre.”

 

The concert begins with Stephen Schwartz himself, singing at a piano. He introduces this evening of his songs, and says how much he misses live theatre. This sets the tone for an hour that is a true ode to theatre and to musical theatre more specifically. The cast sing songs from across his canon of musicals, duets, trios and solos. Each performer has been part of the Wicked cast at some point over the years it has run. The songs are interspersed by moments where the cast interview each other, reminiscing about favourite roles and songs to sing, and sharing what the theatre means to them.

In a wonderfully grand venue, eight of them sit socially distanced with pianist and Musical Director Nick Barstow sitting behind a grand piano, ready to accompany them! It is such a joy to see so many fantastic singers and performers together. I mean this both in the sense of seeing them sing together, the soaring duets and powerful trios. But also in the sense of seeing them sit together, watching each other perform, supporting and appreciating each other. Community is something that comes up as a theme in the interviews and this feels like a visual representation of the community that theatre offers and creates.

The videography and editing by Jake Waby and Christian Abad for JW Productions is an example of how to produce digital content right. Sarah Sendell’s sound design is equally strong and we are able to enjoy the strength of all these singers in perfect quality.

The concert begins with a trio from the musical β€˜Pippin’, and Alexia Khadime sings the first solo number of the evening – a stunning rendition of β€˜I Guess I’ll Miss the Man’. Alice Fearn and Liam Tamne come together to sing a beautiful duet from β€˜Pocahontas’, and their ranges compliment each other flawlessly.

Dianne Pilkington sings a compelling solo, and Melanie La Barrie’s performance from the bar is wonderful. β€˜For Good’ from Wicked is an emotional end to the concert, sung by Nikki Bentley, Sophie Evans, Alice Fearn, Alexia Khadime and Dianne Pilkington.

All nine performers deliver fantastic performances that are a testament to their infectious love of musical theatre.

 

Reviewed by Amelia Brown

Photography by Aimie AtkinsonΒ 

 


Unlimited: The Songs Of Stephen Schwartz

Online via Thespie

 

Recently reviewed by Amelia:
I Will Still Be Whole (When You Rip Me In Half) | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | The Bunker | November 2019
My White Best Friend And Even More Letters Best Left Unsaid | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | The Bunker | November 2019
Potted Panto | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Southwark Playhouse | December 2019
The Girl With Glitter in Her Eye | β˜…β˜…Β½ | The Bunker | January 2020
Essence | β˜…β˜…Β½ | The Vaults | February 2020
Flights | β˜…β˜…β˜…Β½ | Omnibus Theatre | February 2020
Maliphantworks3 | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | The Coronet Theatre | February 2020
Globaleyes | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Online | September 2020
First Date | β˜…β˜…β˜… | Online | October 2020
A Christmas Carol | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Watermill Theatre Newbury | December 2020

 

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