Having been starved of theatre for 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic we were desperate to be part of an audience again. Things didn’t go quite as planned, as productions cancelled on us for various reasons but finally Doctor Theatre had a staff outing to the Dominion Theatre. And what a way to welcome back theatre into our lives. The 1994 Dreamworks animated movie The Prince Of Egypt, telling the story of Moses freeing the Hebrew people from slavery and leading them to the promised land, has become something of an iconic feature. Such is a scale of the story that adapting it to stage would be problematic for any producer. So we can be forgiven for being a little unsure of what to expect from such a venture. We needn’t have worried though. Scott Schwartz the director and Sean Cheesman the choreographer have truly delivered us from mediocre theatre.
This is the stage equivalent of one of those epic Biblical movies of old, where Charlton Heston would descend on high with the ten commandments. From the very start the scale of the story is made clear with Kevin Depinet’s clever set design, enhanced with projections by Jon Driscoll, which convey the grandeur of Ancient Egypt. Whether the tale calls for a mountain side or seven plagues, they rise to the challenge with vistas that make us believe. The score itself by the director’s father Stephen Schwartz is full of Arabic rhythms and wailing choruses. I personally would have preferred a few more earworms, but there is little doubt that “Footprints On The Sand” and the Academy award winning “When You Believe” will be the tunes you are humming on the way out.
The all important cast is led by Luke Brady as Moses. We see the fun and then the pain, as he realises his true heritage and the struggle to free his people. Brady is matched by Liam Tamne as Ramses, Tamne has some fine singing moments but needs a bit more colour to convince us of his change from mischievous youth to Pharaoh. Christine Allado as Tzipporah, the Midian slave girl who becomes Moses wife, shows a fine voice and ability to play comedy and pathos. Joe Dixon and Debbie Kurup as Seti and Queen Tuya have the regal presence needed for their roles whilst Clive Rowe as Jethro, Tizipporah’s father and high priest, brings an all too brief sense of fun to the proceedings. The always wonderful Adam Pearce makes the most of his limited role as the sinister Hotep, intent on preserving the traditional ways of the Pharaoh’s reign. But all in all the large cast excel not only in the the many choral offerings the score demands but also in Sean Cheeseman’s inventive and clever choreography. Having a full orchestra blasting out is an experience which cannot be overlooked, there is simply nothing like it. An experience that no online streaming or televised version can match. Goosebumps time. So well done musical director Dave Rose and his band of 16 brilliant players.
A musical which aims to conjure up the parting of the Red Sea during the evening is one with real ambition. You don’t have to be partial to a faith to enjoy this show, the Bible has been called the greatest story ever told. And this production demonstrates that the power of that storytelling hasn’t diminished, particularly when it is presented in such a classy production as this. We came, we saw, we believed. A triumph.
Rob Cope on behalf of Doctor Theatre
Details on the production can be found at the official website
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