Tag Archives: Rob Bartley

Bugsy Malone

Bugsy Malone

★★★★★

Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Bugsy Malone

Bugsy Malone

Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Reviewed -29th July 2022

★★★★★

 

“a fantastic introduction to theatre for young audiences, giving a great alternative to Disney shows with talking animals”

 

Nearly half a century after first appearing in his own movie, ‘Bugsy Malone’ is back. Premiering in the West End in 1983 (starring a certain young Catherine Zeta Jones), the musical about New York gangsters armed with custard pies and paint guns is back on the road in 2022, presented by the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in a co-production with the Theatre Royal Bath.

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Known for having child actors playing grown-ups, the musical tells the story of a turf war between Fat Sam and Dandy Dan, the latter of whom keeps going after the former’s henchmen and offing them In delightfully non-violent ways. Caught up in this fight us Bugsy Malone, a local boxing promotor, who meets and falls in love with Blousey Brown as she tries to audition to sing at Fat Sam’s club. The rift between Fat Sam and Dandy Dan grows and Bugsy and Blousey find themselves caught in the middle, while dreaming of escaping the gangster scene and fleeing to Hollywood, if they can just avoid getting a custard pie in the face first.

‘Bugsy Malone’ has always been a show favoured by amateur youth groups for obvious reasons, and as such it can be seen as a little stale or twee. Thankfully this production knocks those concerns out of the park, bringing the show to life in a big, bold way. The show feels fresh while remaining timeless with effortless cool, and it blitzes through its running time with a breathless pace. Alan Parker’s script is funny and loaded with nifty gangster cliches, and Paul Williams’ music and lyrics may be nearly 50 years old but still sound great, with the songs being a mix of blues and piano-led funk/honkytonk (funkytonk?). Toes will be guaranteed to tap during “Fat Sam’s Grand Slam” and “Bad Guys”, and the numbers are further brought to life by a talented ensemble delivering Drew McOnie’s choreography with style and energy. Costumes (Jon Bausor) are well thought-out with sharp suits for the boys and fringed flapper-dresses for the girls, and everything really sells 1920s New York in a great way. The set (also by Bausor) and lighting (Philip Gladwell) combine brilliantly to create a “film noir gangster caper” feel to great effect, along with a terrifically-staged car chase scene, bouts of fisticuffs and enough paintguns and custard pies to keep children entertained for hours. As a cohesive whole, director Sean Holmes has created a sharp, funny and visually-impressive show, and is almost criminally entertaining.

Teams of three child actors share each principal role, and based on the Press Night performance, there are going to be a lot of proud parents over the coming months. Quite frankly, the kids are brilliant. Throwing themselves fully into their roles and really delivering the 1920s New York gangster vibe, each performance is spot-on and hugely enjoyable. Gabriel Payne (Bugsy) leads the show in a way no mortal child should ever be able to do, even doing a flawless American accent. Albie Snelson is also excellent as Fat Sam, his mob boss shtick being a wonderful hybrid of Marlon Brando and Joe Pesci, and bringing a huge amount of comedy and personality to his performance. Mia Lakha also stands out as aspiring singer Blousey Brown, having fun banter with Payne’s Bugsy as well as showing off an enviable voice, particulary during torch song number “Ordinary Fool”. Jasmine Sakyiama does a great job as press night’s Tallulah, both in narrating the story and in selling the eponymous “My Name Is Tallulah” number that opens the second act. Other performers on Press Night were Aidan Oti as Fizzy, Cherry Mitra as Lena & Babyface, and Desmond Cole as Dandy Dan, who all did a really entertaining job.

‘Bugsy Malone’ may be funny and tuneful, but it’s also a fantastic introduction to theatre for young audiences, giving a great alternative to Disney shows with talking animals, and offering them something a little more grown-up with enough allure to hopefully get them hooked on theatre. The show ends on “You Give A little Love”, and by time it comes, it’s not just a song, it’s an instruction. Don’t miss this show. It’s a criminally good time.

 

 

Reviewed by Rob Bartley

Photography by Johan Persson

 


Bugsy Malone

Birmingham Repertory Theatre until 14th August then UK Tour continues

 

Previously reviewed by Rob:
The Allesley Silas | ★★★ | Belgrade Theatre | July 2022

 

Click here to see our most recent reviews

 

Allesley Silas

The Allesley Silas

★★★

Belgrade Theatre

Allesley Silas

The Allesley Silas

Belgrade Theatre

Reviewed – 26th July 2022

★★★

 

“Dowse does a fine job in keeping the audience engaged, finding a delightful lyricism in the words and being a natural storyteller”

 

Following a successful outdoor staging as part of the Coventry UK City Of Culture 2021 programme last year, “The Allesley Silas” has been adapted for Belgrade’s B2 performance space, where it plays this week. An adaptation of George Eliot’s 1861 novel “Silas Marner”, the play tells the story of a linen weaver who is wrongly accused of theft and subsequently withdraws from society. His loneliness and isolation cause him to move to the quiet village of Raveloe, and become obsessed with money, with his collection of gold coins becoming the only thing in the world that matters to him. One night, his gold is stolen, and Silas is devastated. Soon after, an orphaned child with golden hair enters his life when he finds her wandering alone in the snow, and he believes God has returned his gold to him in another form. Through caring for the child (whom he names Eppie), Silas begins to feel the warmth of human contact once more, and tries to overcome the pain of his past. However, the secret of her true parentage may bring fresh heartache to the lives of others in Raveloe.

Adapted from Eliot’s original novel into a two hour abridgement by Alan Pollock and directed by Olivia Marie, “The Allesley Silas” tells Marner’s story faithfully, if not always particularly excitingly. To be fair, Eliot’s tale is heavy on talking and light on action, and this production works within the parameters of the material and creates an enjoyable experience. The show takes a while to bed in and find its feet, with Act One feeling somewhat ploddy, although Act Two is much stronger. The plot is narrated on stage by Jill Dowse, which helps to tighten up the wordier stretches of the story, and Dowse does a fine job in keeping the audience engaged, finding a delightful lyricism in the words and being a natural storyteller. The production is underscored by folk-tinged incidental music (composed by Rebecca Applin) which maintains the setting and tone of the piece, and Abby Clarke’s set design is simple but effective, using a skeletal house structure as the focal point and framing the stage with wooden boxes which also cleverly double-up as floral borders to help show the passing of time and the seasons. The play is staged in the smaller B2 space, with its intimate nature suiting the piece really well and involving the audience in the story.

Adrian Decosta goes a great job as Silas, really taking the audience on the journey from wronged man to miser to nurturing father, and is particularly impressive near the show’s end where he finally gets closure on his past. Alex Allison is also wonderful as Eppie, brilliantly puppeteering (and vocalising) two child versions of her character before playing her for real in the show’s second act. She brings a real warmth to Eppie, and as a girl who is meant to shine like the sun, Allison is spot-on. Decosta and Allison create a bond throughout the show’s second act that feels genuine and heartfelt, which is lovely to watch.

Telling a 160-year-old story in 2022 is always going to be a tricky task, deciding whether to either modernise the story for today’s world or keep it as a period piece. This production goes for the latter, and although it may lack thrills, it offers a gentle and faithful look into the past, and finds real heart on its journey. Simply told, with the cast showing real affection for the piece, “The Allesley Silas” is a pleasantly nostalgic trip back to secondary school English class for audiences looking to dip back into a classic.

 

Reviewed by Rob Bartley

Photography by Dylan Parrin (from 2021 production)

 


The Allesley Silas

Belgrade Theatre until 30th July

 

All our July reviews so far – click on the link to read:

I Can’t Hear You | ★★★★ | Theatre503 | July 2022
The Hive | ★★★ | Hoxton Hall | July 2022
Report to an Academy | | Old Red Lion Theatre | July 2022
Barefoot in the Park | ★★★★ | The Mill at Sonning | July 2022
Flat and Curves | ★★★★★ | Toulouse Lautrec | July 2022
Hungry | ★★★★★ | Soho Theatre | July 2022
Pennyroyal | ★★★★ | Finborough Theatre | July 2022
Shit-Faced Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet | ★★★★ | Leicester Square Theatre | July 2022
Millennials | ★★★ | The Other Palace | July 2022
Fashion Freak Show | ★★★★★ | Roundhouse | July 2022
Sobriety on the Rocks | ★★★★ | Bread and Roses Theatre | July 2022
Oh Mother | ★★★★ | Soho Theatre | July 2022

 

Click here to see our most recent reviews