THE RISE AND FALL OF VINNIE & PAUL
The Glitch
★★★★
“Both actors possess exceptional singing voices — expressive, versatile, and emotionally charged”
The Rise & Fall of Vinnie & Paul explores one of art history’s most infamous fallouts — the brief but intense period when, in the autumn/winter of 1888, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin lived and worked side by side in Vincent’s little Yellow House in the South of France. What begins as a shared dream of founding an artists’ colony soon unravels into a tempest of clashing egos, artistic ideals, and personal demons — culminating in Vincent’s self-mutilation and Paul’s abrupt departure.
This 60-minute two-hander rock musical blends fact with imaginative interpretation, propelled by a dynamic score and an unflinching examination of genius, obsession, and collapse.
Max Alexander-Taylor is magnetic and heartbreaking as Vincent, capturing the intensity of a man on the brink, whose passion for art masks deepening psychological instability. Nicholas Carter (Paul) is a perfect counterpoint — more restrained, emotionally torn, quietly simmering with frustration. Their chemistry is electric, veering from camaraderie to confrontation in a heartbeat. Both actors possess exceptional singing voices — expressive, versatile, and emotionally charged, moving effortlessly from delicate vulnerability to raw, soaring power.
Neil Bastian’s music and lyrics are a clear highlight. The score feels contemporary yet rooted in character — a mix of driving rock anthems and hushed, lyrical ballads. The opening number, Sunflower Power, sets a sharply ironic tone: Paul suggests Vincent has a sunflower seed in his brain and warns the audience he’ll be “cutting off his ear by the end of the hour” — a dark, witty line that chillingly foreshadows what’s to come.
This leads into a beautifully observed scene depicting Paul’s arrival in France, marvelling at the brilliance of Vincent’s sun-drenched summer work. In A Fistful of Brushes, the two duet with infectious optimism, declaring “colour is our new religion.” But harmony is short-lived. Paul learns he has sold a painting in Paris — while Vincent remains unsold.
Like a Painter Man reveals Paul’s growing doubts, and his suggestion in Take a Trip to Your Mind that Vincent paint from imagination proves dangerous. Vincent’s mind is not a safe place to linger. In Way Past Midnight, Paul recounts a disturbing nocturnal episode in which Vincent scrawled “I am the Holy Spirit” on the wall — a clear sign he is unravelling. News of Vincent’s brother Theo’s engagement — the man funding their lifestyle — proves the final blow, prompting Paul’s suggestion that their artistic experiment has failed — triggering Vincent’s downward spiral.
The following three numbers — Me and My Friend, Welcome to My Funeral, and Wheatfield with Crows — chart Vincent’s descent into psychosis, his self-mutilation, and eventual suicide, reported two years later in a newspaper Paul reads alone. The show ends with Red is the Colour, a haunting duet that mingles grief with a flicker of hope.
Kirstie Davis’ direction makes sharp use of the intimate studio space. A few simple props — stools, an easel, a trunk — create a shifting world that always feels alive. The tight staging amplifies the claustrophobia of their partnership; when violence erupts, it’s all the more shocking. Lighting is used with precision and symbolism: warm ambers give way to stark, envious greens, and in the climactic moment, a flood of red saturates the stage. Silhouette work adds visual intrigue, suggesting fractured selves and internal ghosts — as if we’re witnessing both the men and their demons.
Ryan Anstey’s sound design lends emotional and psychological texture. Natural sounds — wind, birdsong, rolling waves — gradually give way to something darker. During Vincent’s breakdowns, we hear echoes of voices in his head: his father’s stern religious teachings, inner criticism, mocking judgement.
The Rise & Fall of Vinnie & Paul is a fascinating, emotionally raw, and musically rich new work that — despite being a shortened version of a full-length musical in development — feels remarkably complete. It distils a fraught, complex relationship into something both theatrical and truthful — a vivid exploration of artistic brilliance, mental illness, and the volatile intimacy of creative partnership.
THE RISE AND FALL OF VINNIE & PAUL
The Glitch
Reviewed on 17th April 2025
by Ellen Cheshire
Previously reviewed by Ellen:
KNEES UP! | ★★★ | NEW THEATRE ROYAL | March 2025
RETROGRADE | ★★★★ | APOLLO THEATRE | March 2025
TESS | ★★★★ | NEW THEATRE ROYAL | February 2025
THE NUTCRACKER | ★★ | THEATRE ROYAL BRIGHTON | January 2025
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE | ★★★½ | CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE | January 2025
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST | ★★★★ | NEW THEATRE ROYAL | December 2024
REDLANDS | ★★★★ | CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE | September 2024
BARISTA THE MUSICAL | ★★★ | CAPITOL THEATRE | September 2024
THE BELT | ★★★★★ | THE CORONET THEATRE | September 2024
THE WEYARD SISTERS | ★★ | RIVERSIDE STUDIOS | August 2024
