REVIEW: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA @ Her Majesty's Theatre, London

 

“To hell with Gluck and Handel

Have a scandal and you're sure to have a hit!” – Monsieur Firmin

The production of Phantom of The Opera that opened on 27^th July 2021 has a whiff of scandal about it...with a reduced orchestra, scaled down sets and the dismissal of long-serving cast members. And yet, going by the audience of the matinée I took in, there’s no reason to believe that Phantom won’t continue to pack ‘em in for years to come.

Based on Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, the 1910 mystery novel by French author Gaston Leroux, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of The Opera (as it’s now modestly christened) revolves around the Paris Opera House in the late 19^th Century. A genius, deformed composer lives in the labyrinth beneath the Opera House and has been terrorising the company of the Opera Populaire for years. In his guise as “the Opera Ghost” the Phantom makes various threats and demands, he also has a particular obsession with a young chorus girl called Christine Daaé and conspires to elevate her to a leading role. Christine has a more conventional suitor in the shape of the Opera’s patron, Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. Raoul is a childhood friend of Christine’s and when he makes his romantic intentions known; the Phantom cannot contain his jealousy and steps up his campaign of terror.

The original production of Phantom opened in 1986 and played in the West End for 34 years, before closing last year due to the coronavirus. Where some shows announced a mere “temporary hiatus”, producer Cameron Mackintosh began making comments in the press that Phantom needed a rethink, citing the aging mechanics of the set and health and safety concerns. Further cause for concern was the suggestion that the 24-piece orchestra was to be cut down, relying on pre-recorded elements to plug the gaps. Peculiarly Andrew Lloyd Webber then started making contradictory statements to the effect of “Phantom will be back in its original form”. Quite what would have happened had the show not had a covid enforced cancellation is up for debate. Lest we also forget that a replica production will return to Broadway, while the World Tour has just finished playing in South Korea – how can these productions afford to run?

Earlier this year, things started to coalesce. Phantom would return, not as an entirely new production, more in a hybrid form. The bones of Hal Prince’s direction would be intact, Maria Björnson’s designs retained and Gillian Lynne’s choreography utilised. What would change is the removal of some of the show’s more costly aspects; like the floating Angel above the proscenium that the Phantom memorably hid in at the end of Act 1, and the orchestra would be reduced in-size to 14.

If I were to speculate about Director Seth Sklar-Heyn’s approach, I would imagine it would be to bring the text back into focus. For example, the theatre manager’s scenes always boasted humorous lyrics from the pen of Richard Stilgoe but here Matt Harrop and Adam Linstead (as Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André respectively) found laughs in-places I’ve not seen before. Similarly Francesca Ellis brings an arch sensibility to her Madame Giry. While Ellie Young’s Meg Giry, through a series of glances and facial expressions, suggests she knows far more about the Opera House’s comings and goings than she lets on. Such expansions aren’t rewriting the text, rather developing the character’s internal lives. This depth was no doubt aided by the casts longer than normal rehearsal period.

Most significantly, the portrayal of Christine seems far more three dimensional. Christine’s can usually be sorted into two different categories; exceptional vocalists that make sure every note sounds immaculate or stronger actresses that strive for nuanced characterisation. In Lucy St Louis, I’m pleased to report they’ve found someone who fulfils both categories. Her moving, emotionally raw ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’ elicited a lingering applause, while her seduction of Don Juan in ‘The Point of No Return’ was sizzling. St. Louis’ Christine is no deer in the headlights, by the end of the piece she is fully cognisant of the Phantom’s manipulations but there is no doubt that she has a real emotional connection with him, making her departure in the final scene a real emotional wrench. Lucy St Louis is the first Black actress to play Christine in the West End and it would be naïve to not acknowledge the significance of this moment which has been a long-time coming. In a recent interview for London Theatre, the actress discussed the level of care behind the scenes in making sure her wig is correctly textured; “Every other Christine would have had the care and detail in their wig, so you need to know how to work afro hair”. Christine remains a dream role amongst aspiring performers and hopefully by seeing Lucy St Louis onstage, a larger range of young women will know that dream is possible. As a long-term visitor at Her Majesty’s, I was buoyed to see a much more inclusive ensemble across the board, this must continue.

Sadly not all the casting is successful; Greg Castiglioni’s Ubaldo Piangi is sadly miscast. The actor makes a good fist of the part vocally but the Phantom’s crack about Piangi needing to lose some weight “It’s not healthy in a man of Piangi’s age” falls flat because this Piangi is neither old nor overweight. This continues a worrying trend in West End casting, to go younger and cheaper so producers can save a few quid. Older actors should exist in West End musicals.   

What of the man in the mask? Killian Donnelly’s Phantom is vocally beautiful, impressively switching from lilting allurement to powerful gravitas. However at times, while technically perfect, I felt there was something lacking in the Phantom’s characterisation. Donnelly’s Phantom is a cipher and doesn’t really have much subtlety or hidden depths. But this is early days in the run and given how West End Phantom’s never really leave the part behind (John Owen Jones has had more “farewells” than Cher) I’d imagine his interpretation will evolve.

This not-quite-new production is still excellent entertainment of the highest order. When reviewing anything, I always try to be conscious of how the show is going down with the audience around me and with this Phantom they were rapt. Any frustrations I have about changes come from an intimate familiarity with the piece of old but at a certain point, Phantom fans have to stop worrying about ‘the way things should be’ and resign themselves to ‘the way things are’. There is something reassuring knowing that The Phantom of The Opera is still haunting the West End, long may that continue as the show is still highly recommended after all these years.      

Review by Phillip Beamon

 

 

The Phantom of the Opera continues to run at Her Majesty's Theatre,  booking details can be found via the OFFICIAL WEBSITE

REVIEW: EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE Movie (Amazon Prime)

Having only witnessed the (excellent) UK touring cast of Everybody's Talking About Jamie a couple of weeks ago,  it's seems to be the month of Jamie New because at last the long awaited movie version has surfaced in selected cinemas and on the Amazon Prime streaming service.  

Transfering stage productions to film has long been a subject much chewed over by Phil and I,  we have both been equally frustrated by some adaptations (The Phantom of the Opera) and delighted by others (Mamma Mia!).   Thankfully,  Jamie has taken the Mamma Mia! route and kept the core of its creative team intact, most importantly its director Jonathan Butterell. 

Filmed in and around Sheffield,  this is a fairytale doused in glitter and grime.  The cinematography is by and large striking,  a musical should take us into its world and in this respect Jamie most certainly does,  one minute a kitchen of a city semi-detached and the next into a fantasy sequence of glitter balls and fabulousness.

This is a show that rides and falls on its central character and the actor who plays the ambitious but flawed Jamie New.  In Max Harwood  the director has found a young player who can bring out both aspects of Jamie's journey, and whether its the dancing, singing or the hurt at his rejection by his alpha male Dad, it is a a performance that has you rooting for this eccentric teenager to win through.  And we have to like Jamie if this show / film is to succeed.   Harwood is lucky to have many scenes opposite Lauren Patel,  who as Jamie's best friend Pritti Pasha delivers a very different but equally engaging performance.  The big acting guns come in the shape of Sarah Lancashire as Margaret New and Richard E. Grant as Hugo Battersby otherwise known by his drag alter ego Loco Chanelle.  It comes as no surprise that Lancashire delivers a first class performance, she has been doing it for decades on stage and on screen, and her performance of 'He's My Boy' is a defining moment of her character and of the movie itself.   

The roles of some characters have been cut down. Shobna Gulati's Ray is denied some of her best comic moments from the stage show,  some of the fire of the character is missing.  I would have liked to have seen Ray tell the head of Mayfield School that the schools attitude to Jamie "boils her piss". But alas she is strangely muted in this screen version. So whilst we get plenty of glitz and campery from Jamie, it sometimes doesn't feel quite as balanced as it could do character wise.  We have also lost some of the stage show score. Gone is the lengthy 'The Legend of Loco Chanelle' sequence in favour of the Holly Johnson-does-Pet Shop Boys beat of 'This Was Me' with VHS footage of gay rights campaigners and the ugly spectre of Aids in the 1980s, swapping Loco Chanelle's backstory for Hugo's.  But to be fair,  you are never going to please everybody when it comes to adapting a popular stage franchise and the high moments of the movie make up for shortfalls in story arcs.  A mention for the villains of the piece,  Ralph Ineson gives his usual top notch gritty performance as Jamie's Dad whilst Samuel Bottomley is school bully Dean Paxton, who gets a little redemption at the end thanks to Jamie's generous nature. Both deserve a bit more screen time.  Richard E. Grant services Hugo well in his pivotal role,  thankfully being just OTT enough to grab a few laughs but at the same time reminding us that Hugo has fallen from the heights of topping the bill at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London and is now running a somewhat shabby dress shop for drag queens.

The story of Jamie New is all about being true to yourself,  and that is a lesson we all need to learn from time to time,  the fact that he does it in a haze of glitter and Prom-fabulous is a bonus which will I suspect by and large delight the stage show followers and also gather some new devotees to the House Of Loco. With this big screen version,  Jamie has taken the ultimate step out of the darkenss and into the spotlight.   It retains enough of the high energy and comic thrust of the theatre version, and adds a few moments of its own to make sure its not a slavish copy.  Its the tonic we need right now in the slow recovery from the pandemic. For me, this is among the high end of movie musical adaptations.  Because like Jamie, it has - for the most part - remained true to itself.  

Rob Cope for Doctor Theatre

 

REVIEW: EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE (UK Tour) @ Lowry, Salford

 

Since the Sheffield Crucible burst forth the story of Jamie New in 2017,  the march of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has been unstoppable.  It has quickly became a cult and is about to go mainstream with the launch of the movie version on Amazon later this month.   

Based on the BBC documentary Jamie, Drag Queen At 16 about Durham based Jamie Campbell and his quest to wear a dress to his school prom and to become a drag queen,  the musical version written by Dan Gillespie-Sells and Tom MacRae seems to have won a place in the hearts of all who see it. 

It will take more than Covid to stop the pupils of Mayfield High from bringing their message of inclusivity and acceptance to the world,  and so it is that the UK Tour has re-commenced its assault on the nation,  and never was this feel good night out needed more. Central to the theme of the show is Jamie’s homophobic Dad,  stuck in that dreary Alpha male world,  and Jamie’s attempts to reach out to him are fruitless.   But luckily he has his Mum Margaret,  a beautiful soul who recognises Jamie’s true nature and encourages it at the cost of her own happiness. She is aided by her best friend Ray, a gobby loud northern lass whom we all would love as a best friend.  Jamie’s best friend is Pritti Pasha, a seemingly conservative Muslim girl with dreams of becoming a Doctor. Together they plot and plan Jamie’s ambitions to don a dress.  This includes a visit to Victor’s Secrets, a shop for aspiring drag students where the gruff Hugo reveals his former drag alter ego Loco Channelle.   And so the story  takes flight with Jamie setting free his inner self whilst at the same time coming to terms with the difficult and destructive nature of his relationship with his Dad.

 

At the heart of the show are Dan Gillespie-Sells magnificent melodies,  this is a pop extravaganza but with a heart,  mixing high energy ensemble numbers with searing torch songs for the soul.   At the centre of the tour playing Jamie New is the always incredible Layton Williams.  When I saw him do a back flip in high heels during a production of Rent I knew Layton was a fearless performer.  He embodies Jamie with all the camp comedy that Tom MacRae’s script demands and yet still shines light on Jamie’s fragility. It is a star performance.  Entertainment legend Shane Richie brings his own comedy arsenal to the role of Hugo / Loco Chanelle.  One minute cynical and waspish, the next loud and brash,   Richie seems born to play Hugo and delivers a stand out reading of the character.  Amy Ellen Richardson carries much of the weight of the situation upon her shoulders as Margaret New, and her two songs “If I Met Myself Again” and “He’s My Boy” are showstoppers.  Shobna Gulati’s outspoken Ray is bombastic and fun.  She delivers her laugh lines with panache and its easy to see why she was chosen to repeat the role in the forthcoming movie version. Sharan Phull finds the gentle but steely resolve of Pritti perfectly,  her song “It Means Beautiful” is true and heartfelt and her performance is yet another of the standout moments in this superbly tuned production. The ensemble is equally as strong:  Britain’s Got Talent winner George Sampson as school bully Dean,  Cameron Johnson as Jamie’s odious Dad - not to mention a trio of drag queens in Garry Lee (Sandra Bullock),  JP McCue (Laika Virgin) and Rhys Taylor (Tray Sophisticay).  

Matt Ryan's direction and Katie Prince’s choreography manage to plonk us in the world of the teenager. Some topical Covid jokes have been added to the script bringing the events bang up to date,  the stage positively fizzes and the long first act never lets up. 

The message the show delivers about accepting everyone for who they are is a universal truth.  With Jamie already established in Asia and heading to America next,  truly everybody will be talking about Jamie New. His is a message of dreams, hopes and healing which we need right now. This 2021 touring production showcases just why he is out of the darkness and into the spotlight, where he will surely stay.

Rob Cope for Doctor Theatre.

 

 

 

 Check out the latest show information at www.everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co.uk