Theatre Review – Love Never Dies (Adelphi Theatre, 8th January 2011)

It has been a few months since I saw Love Never Dies for the first time, and in the time since, it has closed for 4 days and been rewritten. Thus, going to see the show last week, I was in fact going to see Love Never Dies “Version 2.”

Love Never Dies (now perhaps famously) continues the story of the most successful musical in the world: The Phantom of the Opera. The action takes place ten years after the original ended when The Phantom has moved to Coney Island and set up “Phantasma” perhaps the first ‘theme park’ and Christine (now married to Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny and with a son, Gustave) is booked to open Oscar Hammerstein’s brand new opera house in New-York City. Of course, The Phantom finds out and tries to win Christine back from Raoul, finding out some secrets along the way about Gustave and ultimately giving her a choice: She either sings for him at Phantasma or he will take her son.

Joseph Millson as Raoul & Sierra Boggess as Christine

                                              

The tension is high and the drama intense throughout and the characters are played so effortlessly by the leading cast, who have such a solid relationship that you never once feel nervous or anxious that they get something right. Ramin Karimloo shines as The Phantom, his strong, lyrical voice carrying through the theatre and directly into the hearts of his audience. Other leads Joseph Millson as Raoul and Celia Graham (on for Sierra Boggess as Christine) also gave phenomenal performances, with Millson delivering such fine acting as well as beautiful singing in ‘Why Does She Love Me?’ And Graham’s performance of the title song being the highlight of the performance (deservedly getting the largest mid-act ovation I have ever encountered.)

The supporting cast hold their own too, with Liz Robertson (not working with the most melodic music to be fair) creating the jealousy-filled adviser to The Phantom and the manager of Phantasma, Madame Giry and Jessica Kirton (on for Summer Strallen) as her daughter Meg, previous long-time friend of Christine at the Paris Opera and headline act at Phantasma.

The changes to the show have further tightened the action, making the narrative flow better, and making the story a lot easier to follow. There is now more background (the opening now shows the Paris Opera house burning down) and indeed the story is now more believable  - rather than being lured to New York City by mysterious Mr. Y (The Phantom in disguise) it is now plausible that Christine might go and open Oscar Hammerstein’s opera. Another welcome addition is more music and themes from The Phantom of the Opera. We now hear the (famous) chord progression heard at the end of the original at places during Love Never Dies, and one song that has been reborn with new lyrics in Love Never Dies is ‘Stranger than You Dreamt It’. The first time we see The Phantom in Love Never Dies, he is also kissing the ring which Christine returned to him the night she left him for Raoul ten years previously.

Ramin Karimloo as The Phantom

Whilst some songs are removed, what made Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s score the best of the last decade in West-End theatre still remains – The opening song is now The Phantom’s ballad ‘Til I Hear You Sing’ (which was well-received, as always by the audience) and the show continues to produce well-received songs from lush romantic string-filled duets (Look With Your Heart, Once Upon Another Time) to burlesque-inspired show numbers (Bathing Beauty) and the typical Andrew Lloyd Webber aria Love Never Dies (which, incidentally is a far better fit in this show than in previous show The Beautiful Game.)

Bob Crowley’s set and costume designs, Paule Constable’s lighting designs and Mick Potter’s sound design remain largely unchanged from my last visit – and with good reason too – they were perfect.

Moderations to the book and Jack O’Brien’s original direction by Bill Kenwright were welcome – making the show less static and although Bill Deamer’s revisions of Jerry Mitchell’s choreography were not actually necessary, they did not take away from the production.

The best changes, however, lie in Charles Hart’s revision of the lyrics. We know from his beautiful words from The Phantom of the Opera that Charles Hart really is a master of the romantic lyric, and so, he has revised some Glenn Slater’s awkward lyrics and has written some original ones of his own. One addition not necessary, however, was the addition of lyrics and choreography in The Coney Island Waltz – this being another part that was perfect to begin with.

All things considered, Love Never Dies is still the best original musical in the West-End and with some of the long-runners looking tired now; it might be the best bet for any London theatregoer. The changes have improved the already amazing show to now make it phenomenal.

5*

Theatre Review – ‘Oliver!’ (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane 5th January 2011)

If you are one of the fortunate ones who have seen “Cameron-Mackintosh’s-new-production-of-Rupert-Goold’s-recreation-of-Sam-Mendes’-direction-of-Lionel-Bart’s-theatrical-masterpiece-‘Oliver!’”, consider yourself (pun intended) lucky. And breathe.

It seems a bit pointless reviewing this production considering it has closed now, but I thought it would be worth it in any event. This recreation of the 1994 Cameron Mackintosh production at The London Palladium opened almost two years ago with Rowan Atkinson in the much-coveted role of Fagin, and Jodie Prenger (who had won the role in TV talent search competition I’d Do Anything) as Nancy, and now stars Griff Rhys Jones as Fagin and Kerry Ellis as Nancy.

                                  The Company of 'Oliver!' in "Who Will Buy?"

We follow the story of Victorian orphan Oliver Twist, who is sold from the workhouse, escapes from the funeral directors he is employed at and ends up living with Fagin and his gang of boys in London, until one day, in a twist of fate, picking the pocket of an old man turns out to be a life-changing experience.

Lionel Bart’s score shines through in this production, with orchestrations by William David Brohn and we remember why we fell in love with it in the first place, with all the favourites featuring beefed-up, cinematic orchestrations which completely immerse the Drury Lane in the Dickensian London  we see onstage. The score of ‘Oliver!’ is like pink custard – completely typical, filled with gimmicks yet a guilty pleasure for any listener.

Anthony Ward’s set and costume design are without par in the West-End at the moment, the incredible use of the Drury Lane’s football pitch-sized stage and fly towers apparent in huge production numbers like “Consider Yourself” and “Who Will Buy?” The costumes are perfect Victorian down to the last detail without being overly melodramatic and reminiscent of pantomime, which is a common occurrence of many musicals set in this time period.

Rupert Goold’s direction and Matthew Bourne’s choreography fit perfectly with Ward’s designs to create a visually stunning show that conveys every detail which one can presume Dickens intended. The unique thing about Bourne’s choreography and the thing that works well in ‘Oliver!’ is that he doesn’t choreograph a huge dance sequence where the whole cast is doing the same thing. Every cast member has something different to do, in character, which makes up a huge picture of simply spectacular choreography

                                The Company of 'Oliver!' in "Consider Yourself"

Griff Rhys Jones’ interpretation of Fagin was both fun and deeply serious – a heavily black comedic role which Jones played to perfection. He ranged from playing with the audience (making topical jokes about the price of tickets and the Irish banking system) to the scary villain that Fagin actually is which concludes in the chilling final picture of Fagin’s silhouette disappearing into the London sunset. However, in future, Jones may take advantage of the good idea of maintaining character as one makes entrances and exits.

Masterful also is Kerry Ellis’ performance as Nancy, ranging from the camp “Oom-Pah-Pah” to the ultimate Torch Song “As Long He Needs Me.” Long before “I Dreamed a Dream” and “Memory”, “As Long As He Needs Me” is the original power ballad about love, love for the man who constantly abuses her in Nancy’s case. And Ellis simply delivers the greatest interpretation of this song in the history of the role, her magnificent voice soaring and effortlessly filling the theatre.

In this case, the man who constantly abuses Nancy, Bill Sikes is played by ‘Oliver!’ veteran Stephen Hartley who originally played the role in the London Palladium production alongside Robert Lindsay as Fagin. Hartley has the perfect physique for Bill Sikes including a perfect voice you couldn’t put-on.

This production is a perfect, flawless revival of this classic musical, though one feels that perhaps the production far outweighs the material. ‘Oliver!’ is a fantastic musical; though its highest merits are the book and the production. The music can at times be too typical, and the lyrics are, though cleverly rhymed (see rhyming ‘uppity’ with ‘cup o’ tea’), are merely passable at times. The material does have good points though, with As Long as he Needs Me being the main one with the perfect matching of beautiful melody and haunting lyric.

                                               Rowan Atkinson as Fagin

Whatever problems the show itself may have, they go largely unnoticed in Cameron Mackintosh’s production which is certainly a production for the ages.

4*