Tag Archives: Stephen Sondheim

THE FROGS

★★★

Southwark Playhouse Borough

THE FROGS

Southwark Playhouse Borough

★★★

“Dan Buckley’s Dionysos and Kevin McHale’s Xanthias make a wonderful double act”

“The Frogs” – the musical ‘freely’ adapted by Stephen Sondheim and Burt Shevelove from the ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes – opens with a paradox. The time is the present and the place is Ancient Greece. This tells us that the writers have given themselves license to tweak (to put it politely) the original for a modern audience. The central premise, however, needs little updating: Aristophanes used his play – at a time of crisis – as a biting satire of politics and religion, bemoaning the corruption inherent in society’s leaders and calling for the rejection of the status quo. Two-and-a-half-thousand years on we can pretty much still relate to that. What the writers have done is sprinkle it with contemporary references, added a fair dose of Sondheim’s inimitable music and lyrics and, with the help of Nathan Lane (‘even more freely’ adapted) dished up a couple of hours of mind-bogglingly, zany and funny – but inconsistent – musical theatre.

The title is a touch misleading. Yes, there are frogs. Frogs that populate the River Styx (of course!) and close Act One with a droll and incisive choral number; but beyond that they barely make an appearance. What “The Frogs” focuses on is the epic journey of Dionysos and his slave Xanthias into the Underworld and back in a bid to put the world to rights. Dionysos believes only art can save civilisation but contemporary dramatists aren’t up to scratch, so he decides ‘to go to Hell and back’ (this particular joke is milked for all its worth) to bring George Bernard Shaw back from the dead. He finds Shakespeare down there, constantly at loggerheads with Shaw. The two of them end up fighting it out in a linguistic dual, competing to see which one Dionysos will choose to accompany him back to the land of the living.

The journey is a bit of a meandering rollercoaster. Or rather log-flume, or water-chute. Although mercifully no water tanks have been employed to create a realistic representation of the Styx. Instead, Samuel Biondolillo’s evocative lighting, and Libby Todd’s clever breakaway set depict the worlds we travel through. Dan Buckley’s Dionysos and Kevin McHale’s Xanthias make a wonderful double act. They don’t break the fourth wall, they just take it for granted there isn’t one – which makes their on-stage chemistry and affectionate rivalry as master and slave, even more of a delight to be immersed in. They draw us into the story with ease, and we are willing accomplices. Joaquin Pedro Valdes is having great fun as the ab-flexing Herakles. Carl Patrick’s boatman Charon ups the fun stakes, veering dangerously close to indulgent, but Georgie Rankcom’s strong directorial hand keeps the cast firmly in check, possibly with the exception of Victoria Scone, as Pluto, who brings her Drag Race persona crashing onto the stage with the confidence of a fully-fledged Goddess. (Scone plays Pluto only until 31st May, after which a rota of other performers takes a week each).

The comedy’s sharpness is honed during the later stages of the show, when Bart Lambert’s Shakespeare and Martha Pothen’s Bernard Shaw tackle each other with words like drunkards brawling with bottles. Lambert’s and Pothen’s comic timing and grasp of their respective character’s linguistic styles is extraordinary and the humour, whilst more subtle, becomes increasingly satisfying the more it ditches its pantomime pizzazz.

More of a play with music than a musical, “The Frogs” is full of anachronisms and topical updates that bring the message closer to a contemporary audience. Even closer than the musical’s 1970s premiere, with references to influencers and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Bad Cinderella’ – among many others. This does add to the already heady mix of styles that can be a bit alienating, and the pointed political commentary (‘you get the leader you deserve’ for example) is a touch blunt and predictable. But there is no denying the sheer sense of fun, anarchy and silliness. Definitely worth hopping along to.



THE FROGS

Southwark Playhouse Borough

Reviewed on 27th May 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Pamela Raith

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

Last ten shows reviewed at Southwark Playhouse venues:

RADIANT BOY | ★★½ | May 2025
SUPERSONIC MAN | ★★★★ | April 2025
MIDNIGHT COWBOY | ★★ | April 2025
WILKO | ★★★ | March 2025
SON OF A BITCH | ★★★★ | February 2025
SCISSORHANDZ | ★★★ | January 2025
CANNED GOODS | ★★★ | January 2025
THE MASSIVE TRAGEDY OF MADAME BOVARY | ★★★ | December 2024
THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH | ★★★★★ | November 2024
[TITLE OF SHOW] | ★★★ | November 2024

 

THE FROGS

THE FROGS

THE FROGS

MARRY ME A LITTLE

★★★

Stage Door Theatre

MARRY ME A LITTLE at the Stage Door Theatre

★★★

“The production’s saving grace is Markus Sodergren’s performance”

Revues can be hard to pull off, but Marry Me A Little feels confused and somewhat directionless.

The performance is a series of Sondheim songs, pulled from other musicals, which are knitted together to tell the story of two lonely singles.

The plot, as it is, is vague and hard to follow. It isn’t clear if the two characters are acquainted, and there is no interaction between performers. This seems a particular shame as it would’ve varied the tone and allowed a different dynamic to build. The director, Robert McWhir, has set the performance in modern day, but all that seems to entail is several moments where the characters stare at their phones, and one excellent moment where the stabbing of a microwave meal sleeve is incorporated into the rhythm of the song.

The production’s saving grace is Markus Sodergren’s performance. Both Sodergren and Shelley Rivers are strong, and it is an impressive feat to be non-stop singing for an hour. However, Sodergren is a real standout. He is passionate and funny, and while it is hard to follow why his emotions are what they are, he plays them with vigour.

David Shields’ set paints a clear picture of the apartment(s) and utilises a fairly small space in a clever and compact way. Though ideally his costumes would’ve given us more understanding of the characters. Richard Lambert’s lighting design is naturalistic, and does well to transport the audience to the inside of this apartment.

This is the first production at the new Stage Door Theatre, the first (and only) pop up pub theatre in the West End. The space is intimate and convivial, the audience is seated at individual tables and there is the option of a meal before the show. To choose this revue as a first production, setting the tone for what this theatre will be, feels like a strikingly odd choice. It will be interesting to see how the season progresses.


MARRY ME A LITTLE at the Stage Door Theatre

Reviewed on 1st March

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Peter Davies

 

 

Top shows reviewed in February 2024:

HADESTOWN | ★★★★★ | Lyric Theatre | February 2024
HILLS OF CALIFORNIA | ★★★★★ | Harold Pinter Theatre | February 2024
JEFFREY BERNARD IS UNWELL | ★★★★★ | The Coach & Horses | February 2024
LUCY AND FRIENDS | ★★★★★ | Soho Theatre | February 2024
NELKEN | ★★★★★ | Sadler’s Wells Theatre | February 2024
SELF-RAISING | ★★★★★ | Soho Theatre | February 2024
STANDING AT THE SKY’S EDGE | ★★★★★ | Gillian Lynne Theatre | February 2024
THE BIG LIFE | ★★★★★ | Theatre Royal Stratford East | February 2024
WHEN YOU PASS OVER MY TOMB | ★★★★★ | Arcola Theatre | February 2024

MARRY ME A LITTLE

MARRY ME A LITTLE

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