Stage: Somewhere ogre the rainbow

Puss in Boots
by Tim McArthur, Lucy Penrose
director Tim McArthur
with Nyah Randon, Lucy Penrose, Andrew Lambe, Adam Rhys-Davies, Connor McGrane, Oli Ross
produced by Above the Stag
Wonderville, London • 4-31.Dec.23 ★★★★

By their very nature, British pantomimes are chaotic and silly, and Above the Stag has tilted even more intently in that direction this year. Instead of their usual queer theatrical pantos, this high-spirited show has a more cabaret-style approach, like a group of talented friends getting together to put on a show in the town hall, making it up as they go. Bursting with Broadway energy, it has an amusingly ramshackle, rambling plot and layers upon layers of riotous innuendo.

In a nutshell, the story centres around Master Baker (Penrose), who teams up with Puss (Randon) after the ogre Kevin (Rhys-Davies), in a rage because Puss killed his brother, turns the Prince (McGrane) into a chicken. They get help from fellow baker Dame Fanny (Lambe) to raid Kevin's lair and reverse the curse. Of course, nothing goes as planned, everyone is misunderstood, and there's a wedding on the cards.

With freewheeling glee, the action is continually interrupted by big musical numbers and a range of random twists and turns that begin to feel a bit torturous. Dialog is peppered with pointed political jokes and witty song references, and both the lyrics and choreography delight in smutty double entendre while playing hilariously with theatrical traditions. Through it all, the engaging, up-for-it performers have a lot of fun with their characterisations, enthusiastically embracing costume changes, disguises and multiple roles that make it feel like there are 10 people in the cast.

Quite a bit of this is laugh-out-loud funny, including the way the songs are bent into the story, from musical theatre classics like Tomorrow and A Wonderful Day Like Today to baking-themed pop tunes including Whip It Real Good and Girls Just Wanna Make Buns. Each of the performers is terrific, while the preternaturally talented Penrose steals the show with her astonishing musical range and skilful comedy timing as she plays Master Baker while puppeteering the chicken-prince. She even gets a fabulous break-out number all her own.

The show is so chirpy that we don't much mind the dopey gags that don't quite land, and the energy is so high that we go along with a couple of songs that seem endless in their round-and-round repetition. It's all so relentlessly, disarmingly ridiculous that we rather enjoy the convoluted gyrations of the nonsensical narrative. By the end, we're singing and dancing with the cast, delighted that it seems like it might never end.

For information, ABOVE THE STAG >

photos by Gaz@PBGStudios • 10.Dec.23

Stage: I'll drink to that

Deeper and Deeper
written and directed by Tim McArthur
with Scott Afton, Stewart Briggs, Dickon Farmar, Robert Hook, Hari Kanabar
produced by Above the Stag
lighting Vittorio Verta
costumes Michelle Taylor Knight
Union Theatre, Southwark • 13-17.Sep.23

Kanabar and Hook

There are some provocative ideas gurgling within this drama, which explores the lives of five men whose lives are intertwined over nearly two decades. Much of the interaction features barbed humour, but it's not quite appropriate to call this a comedy, as the jokes reveal limited perspectives and awkward attitudes. The dialog may elicit laughter here and there, but much of this is because it's so easy to see how these guys are struggling to connect on a deeper level.

It opens with a first meeting in a Camden flat in 1997, as Andrew (Farmar) is looking to rent a room with a group of younger guys. He's welcomed by Simon (Afton), an eager and very naive kid only recently arrived in London from Cornwall. Then the sexy Joe (Hook) turns up, flirting shamelessly and then some. The fourth tenant is the cheerful owner Paul (Briggs). And over the years, these four get very drunk together and expose their thoughts and feelings about a range of issues relating to gay life in Britain. A new boyfriend arrives with French twink Louis (Kanabar), relationships come and go, and revelations continually shake their trust in each other.

Afton and Farmar

On a nicely simplified set with black furniture, white props and a scene-setting video wall, the play's first half progresses in sequence, jumping ahead through five years. Then after the interval the narrative fractures, flashing back to reveal connections made earlier than expected, secret ongoing relationships, a surprising sudden death and various years-later encounters. Through all of this, there's a lot of banter about  the usual gay topics like sex, dating and clubbing. And there's continual spicy interaction, although it's more barbed than playful. Indeed, their insults have a brittle, queeny sting to them, usually fuelled by alcohol.

Performances are strong on the whole. Aside from one miscast role, the actors find clever ways to mix sexual posturing with bristly sarcasm while continually revealing underlying emotions. Hook and Kanabar have the most engaging presence on-stage, creating a strikingly realistic bond together. Their roles are more naturalistic than the others, so they're easier to identify with. Hook is remarkably good at holding audience sympathy even as Joe is vilified for his promiscuity and deception. All of them nicely convey the way these men change over the decades.

Briggs with Hook & Kanabar

Alongside pop cultural references and Madonna music from 1995 to 2013, the play is packed with witty observations, sassy opinions, screaming rows and darkly emotional introspection. And while it feels rather fragmented, it adds up to an involving depiction of a relationship over time within the gay subculture, including the way it ripples out to encompass other people. As these five men fall in and out of love and then find lingering embers of affection, a profound honesty emerges that's ultimately moving.

For details, ABOVE THE STAG >

photos by PGBStudios • 13.Sep.23

Stage: Flying the flag

Eurovision (Your Decision)
written and directed by Tim McArthur
with Lucy Penrose, Tim McArthur, Leigh Pollard, Steven Serlin
also Ben Watson, Leanne Jones, Maisie Sellwood, David McMullan
Wonderville, London • 29.Apr-13.May.23

Above the Stag's Eurovision (Your Decision) returns for a third triumphant year, which after the theatre's sudden closure last summer has relocated to Wonderville in the West End, as well as travelling to Brighton and this year's Eurovision host city Liverpool. It feels more confident this year, avoiding the more broadly comical numbers for more polished performances that are still blissfully ridiculous. These are sharply observed pastiche recreations of memorable songs over past decades, designed to keep the audience laughing, cheering and singing along with the up-for-it cast.

Our fabulous hosts Katie and Demetrius (Lucy Penrose and Tim McArthur) are back to lead us through a series of 15 songs that are in the running for the top prize. More than half of the numbers are new this year, including appearances from Irish legend Johnny Logan (1987 winner Hold Me Now) and Celine Dion (Switzerland's 1988 winner Ne Partez Sans Moi). We also now get to enjoy Serbia's bonkers 2022 entry In Corpore Sano, which is performed in its original Latin. 

Thankfully, the wacky Ukrainian entry Dancing Lasha Tumbai (2007) and Iceland's superb Think About Things (from the cancelled 2021 competition) are still in the running order, as are UK favourites Making Your Mind Up (1981's winner) and Flying the Flag (2007), plus an appearance from a rather hairy Sonia with the power ballad Better the Devil You Know (1993). 

Once again, a superstar guest performer arrives after the interval to belt out a couple of big numbers (Hairspray star Lizzie Bea brought the house down on press night) before the riotously silly international jury dials in with their selections, which are combined with an audience vote to declare a winner. The show is superbly written and choreographed, packed with rude innuendo, camp comedy and knowing nods to Eurovision's singular blend of outrageous musicality. 

This show is hugely physical, featuring a riot of corny wigs and costumes as the four cast members incarnate dozens of characters each in elaborately staged musical numbers. Penrose, McArthur, Leigh Pollard and Steven Serlin are gifted musicians who are unafraid to make idiots of themselves on-stage (other performers will appear throughout the run). Each has spotless comical timing that makes everything feel fresh, even as they are also in on the joke. But it's the power of the music, presented with such a skilful blend of respect and satire, that gets us on our feet.

Review of the May 2022 production: EUROVISION (YOUR DECISION?) >

Also at Floral Pavilion, Liverpool 5-6.May.23, and at Ironworks, Brighton 10-11.May.23. For information, visit ABOVE THE STAG > 

Photos by PBG Studios • 30.Apr.23

Stage: What happens in Malta...

Straight and Narrow
by Jimmie Chinn
director Mark Curry
with Lewis Allcock, Todd Von Joel, Carol Royle, Kerry Enright, Harriett Hare, Damon Jeffrey, Gavin Duff
sets/costumes David Shields
lighting Vittorio Verta, James Whitmarsh
Above the Stag, Vauxhall • 3-28.Aug.22

This revival of the late Jimmie Chinn's astute mix of comedy and character drama has sadly had its run cut short when Above the Stag Theatre abruptly shuttered its doors on 7th August. It's a terrific show that plays out like an especially witty sitcom even as it begins digging deeply under the surface. There's a lot going on between these beautifully realised characters, and the themes feel as timely today as they did when the play was first staged in 1992.

Narrated to the audience by Bob (Allcock), the show unfolds out of sequence in a clever way that builds intrigue into the humorously awkward situations. He begins with a little stand-up monologue that highlights the central idea about how we so easily tell little lies in an effort to protect each other. Without ever preaching, the show then unpicks this idea with farcical precision, revealing a series of relationships in ways that draw out telling insight.

It's 1980s Manchester, and Bob shares a kitchen installation business and a home with his partner Jeff (Von Joel). But his drama-queen mother Vera (Royle) thinks Jeff is just a housemate who is distracting Bob from finding a wife. The story begins as Bob's sisters are housesitting while he and Jeff are on holiday in Malta. Lois (Enright) is heavily pregnant with her fourth child with Bill (Jeffrey), who hilariously has learned to stay out of the family chaos. Nona (Hare) is still reeling that her husband Arthur (Duff) ran off with another woman, although he turns up later.

Then Bob and Jeff return home, and something momentous has happened in Malta. Bob is wounded, Jeff is confused, and Vera is the only one who doesn't know that they are a couple in a crisis. What follows expertly puts each of the characters on the spot, forcing them all to examine the point where the truth and lies are coexisting in their connections to each other. And since neither Bob nor Vera are particularly good at facing the truth, they're the ones who are going to have to take the trickiest journeys.

Each cast member hits the comical beats expertly while adding layers to his or her character, drawing out intriguing details that provoke strong reactions even as we're laughing. Their amusing interaction echoes with terrific one-line zingers. Royle is the scene-stealer, reeling off the best jokes (most of which Vera doesn't get). And the writing smartly shifts the audience sympathies back and forth between Bob and Jeff, giving Allcock and Von Joel some very strong moments along the way. All of which makes this a show that gets under the skin and keeps us thinking about both its smaller joys and its resonant kick. Keep an eye out for another revival.

photo by PBG Studios • 6.Aug.22

Stage: Grappling with identity

The Convert
by Ben Kavanagh
dir Gene David Kirk
with Nick Mower, Ben Kavanagh, Sam Goodchild
sets & costumes David Shields
lighting Joseph Ed Thomas
Above the Stag, Vauxhall • 8.Jun-3.Jul.22

This absolute stunner of a play grabs hold and refuses to let up, as playwright Ben Kavanagh grapples with present-day issues and attitudes in a vaguely futuristic setting. The central topic here is gay conversion therapy, although the plot deftly avoids the obvious. Surreal touches take the audience under the surface to reveal deeper thoughts and feelings, embracing contradictions and ambiguities that add a provocative kick.

The story is set after an overthrow of current Western culture, taken over by fundamentalists who have outlawed homosexuality. Arrested for being gay, Alix (Nick Mower) finds himself in a shadowy rehab centre. Unable to tell day from
night, he's confused about the passage of time, while the Arbiter (Kavanagh) insists that Alix only give pre-approved answers to any questions before applying violent "corrections". Alix's cellmate is Marcus (Sam Goodchild), who has accepted this situation and hopes to be returned to society as a straight man who will get married and have children. The only alternative is to be sent to some mythical other place, where gay men are hidden from society.

Skilfully using light, sound and video screens, the set is vividly evocative from the start, with its industrial screens, piercing illumination and rolling smoke. It looks like a cross between a spaceship and a bomb shelter, which adds to Alix's general disorientation. Beds are like alien examination tables, while the interrogation desk holds its own secrets. Meanwhile, the performances lift this show far above expectations, anchored by a raw, yearning turn from Mower in his professional debut. 

Mower makes Alix instantly sympathetic, never giving into the cruelty that's dealt to him. In blackout moments, makeup is applied to reveal the brutal injuries inflicted during this experience, and Mower conveys Alix's quiet resilience even when this gets very nasty indeed. His banter with Kavanagh's coldly acerbic Arbiter is strikingly well-played, as are the much more tender and open moments between Alix and Goodchild's intriguingly nuanced Marcus.

While the key target is gay conversion, there are much deeper things at work as this play explores how the three characters identify themselves. These thoughtful ideas are subtly played by the cast to add emotional impact. So in the final act, as the story takes a series of rather mind-spinning turns, it's this internalised journey that holds us tightly, accompanied by the haunting words of Barbra Streisand's Happy Days Are Here Again. 

For information, visit ABOVE THE STAG >

photos by PBGstudios • 9.Jun.22

Stage: Fun in the sun

Alright Bitches
by Martin Blackburn
dir Bryan Hodgson
with Daniel Breakwell, Marcus J Foreman, Josiah Eloi, Wilson Armour, Jackie Pulford
sets and costumes David Shields
lighting Joseph Ed Thomas
Above the Stag Theatre, Vauxhall • 11.May-4.Jun.22

A witty bit of fun to kick off the summer, this goofy comedy amusingly riffs on a range of gay stereotypes as it tells a story that's surprisingly warm. It's not riotously hilarious, but the story is enjoyably silly, and the characters are likeable, with each getting a number of jaggedly witty punchlines along the way. And while it's also never as sexy as it really should be, at least there's plenty of filthy innuendo to fuel the farcical atmosphere.

At the fading gay resort Los Hombres in Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria, birthday boy Garth (Breakwell) is on the prowl for shallow sex, while his best friend Max (Eloi) looks for something marginally more meaningful. Their older gal-pal Pam (Pulford) is also on hand, hoping to kickstart her romantic life. Then a couple arrives in the bungalow next door: Ollie (Foreman) and. Ollie just wants some sunshine and relaxation after a serious past few months, while his older boyfriend Jason (Armour) finds it hard to imagine a holiday without any cultural value at all.

Over the course of the week, these five characters mix together for a range of activities that force them to work out what they want to do with their lives. Each of these people is at a crossroads, so various actions push them to make big decisions, with a couple of illicit kisses and plenty of comical messiness along the way. And a sideplot involving a reclusive man in the next cabin adds a rather forceful point later on. Clearly playwright Blackburn has more on his mind than laughs here, which helps make the play engaging and satisfying. But the show would benefit from naughtier shenanigans and a more consistently high-spirited tone.

The actors deliver performances that are deliberately heightened for comical value, complete with some very silly accents, although they never tip over into caricature. At the start, these people seems to be little more than gay scene cliches, but as the story continues they deepen into more complex individuals. Each one might still be vaguely ridiculous, but he or she wins us over by being so recognisable. Each has a chance to stand out, but it's Pulford's Pam who both brings the party and makes the most razor-sharp observations. And Eloi gets the best amusing scene-stealing moments as the sarcastic Max.

As always, the team at Above the Stag outdoes itself when it comes to the set, which recreates a beach resort with terrific detail. And while the show is perhaps over-punctuated by voiceovers from a tour guide and cleverly lit cutaways to club nights and other events, these transitions are sharply well-staged to put the audience right in the splash zone. Essentially, this show is like one of those over-wrought tropical fruit cocktails: it goes down very easily, lightens the mood and gives us a boost. 

For information, visit ABOVE THE STAG >

photos by PBGstudios • 13.May.22

Cabaret: Making your mind up

Eurovision (Your Decision?)
writer-director Tim McArthur
with Lucy Penrose, Tim McArthur,
Sarah Moore, Christian Andrews
Above the Stag, Vauxhall • 6-14.May.22

Celebrating its #secondcoming after last year's hit run, this superbly well-assembled cabaret show counts down to the real Eurovision Song Contest by taking audience members on a gleefully irreverent trip through the competition's long history. And while it sometimes gets a bit silly, the show manages to strike just the right balance between snarky satire and heartfelt homage. It also features some seriously gifted performers in a terrific venue, complete with table service throughout the show.

As hosts Katie and Demetrius (Lucy Penrose and Tim McArthur) surge onto the stage with their shimmery outfits and ludicrous accents, we immediately know right where we are: a grand European arena filled with screaming fans, ready to watch a parade of colourful musical numbers, hopefully of the bonkers variety. What follows are 14 Eurovision hits, staged with elaborate choreography and performed with a riotous succession of wigs and costumes by four up-for-it performers: Penrose, McArthur, Sarah Moore and Christian Andrews.

Sound of Silence

The musical highlight is Penrose's soaring rendition of Sound of Silence (Australia 2016 - right), while the most enjoyably nutty number is the spacetacular Dancing Lasha Tumbai (Ukraine 2007 - below), only marginally more camp than the original version. A strong second place in this category would be the amusingly quirky staging of Think About Things, Iceland's catchy entry to the cancelled 2020 competition. The UK is represented by four numbers, including the blissfully choreographed ditty Flying the Flag (2007), Ooh Aah ... Just a Little Bit (1996), Making Your Mind Up (1981's winner) and a pastiche rendition of Cliff Richards' Congratulations (which only missed the top spot by one point in 1968).

Sweden's 2015 winner Heroes

All four of the performers display impressive vocal and dance skills along the way, always with a sly wink to the audience. They are also more than willing to lose all of their dignity along the way. During the interval, we get to vote for our winner, followed by a special performance from a guest singer who delivers the standards All of Me and I've Got You Under My Skin with effortless charm. Finally, there's the voting tally, which is as ridiculous as we hope it will be, followed by a frantically quick change to get back into the right wigs for the big reprise finale. It's impossible not to have a great time at an evening like this, and it's hard to imagine that it's not on its way to becoming a beloved annual event on its own.

Dancing Lasha Tumbai

For information, visit ABOVE THE STAG >

6.May.22

Stage: Did he get a fair trial?

Sydney Fox’s Crime
writer-director Glenn Chandler
sets & costumes David Shields
lighting Joseph Ed Thomas
with Sebastian Calver, Amanda Bailey, Mark Curry
Above the Stag, Vauxhall • 20.Apr-7.May.22

Based on a real court cast from 1929 that is still being questioned, this nicely staged drama pulls the audience into the multi-layered intrigue using a simple set-up and just three characters. At just over an hour, it feels perhaps a bit light, more like a fringe show than a proper theatrical piece. And while playwright Glenn Chandler never quite grapples with the themes in the text itself, the dramatisation raises several big issues, leaving the audience with plenty to chew on.

It opens as Sydney (Sebastian Calver) has been charged with murder and is meeting with his barrister James Cassels (Mark Curry) in his prison cell. James is concerned that several aspects of Sydney's life will make him deeply unsympathetic to a jury, from his long history of petty crimes to his unapologetic homosexuality. Then as Sydney recounts his relationship with his mother Rosaline (Amanda Bailey), their scenes are enacted on the opposite side of the stage. Clearly very close, especially after Sydney's brothers died in the Great War, Sydney and Rosaline had a messy life together, living well above their means until she died in a suspicious hotel fire.

Calver's role is demanding, as he plays Sydney at various ages, shifting between a jaded prisoner and a lively con artist as Sydney recounts his story to James on one side of the stage and interacts in flashbacks with Rosaline on the other. The young actor has a likeable presence on-stage that generates sympathy even with his blithely criminal proclivities. And he also just about overcomes the generally arch dialog. Bailey has some terrific moments as Rosaline, although there always seems to be more to their relationship than we can see. A song-and-dance interlude lightens the tone but doesn't offer much insight. And Curry brings an earthy authenticity to James, especially when he delivers his punchy opening argument.

If you're unfamiliar with the true events, the trial's outcome remains enticingly unpredictable, although of course the underlying bigotry in British society never offers much hope. Even if the story is nearly a century old, it's laced with ideas that make it remarkably current, from the effects of endemic homophobia and class-based prejudice to the inventive desperation of people who struggle to make ends meet. And because Chandler has added a few fictional touches (such as a chillingly elegiac final scene), it might be worth expanding the play to include some other characters and a deeper sense of motivation. That said, leaving these things between the lines is engagingly provocative.

for information, visit ABOVE THE STAG • photos by PBGstudios • 21.Apr.22

Stage: A riotously rude treat

Dick Whittington: A New Dick in Town!
by John Bradfield, Martin Hooper
songs John Bradfield
dir Andrew Beckett
with Jonny Peyton-Hill, Matthew Baldwin, Keanu Adolphus Johnson, Nikki Biddington, Bradley Walwyn
Above the Stag, Vauxhall • 2.Nov.21 - 16.Jan.22

It seems impossible that writer Martin Hooper and writer-composer John Bradfield have missed a single gag in this fabulously naughty pantomime, which updates the legend of London's iconic 14th century mayor into the riotously queer present day. Everything about this adult-aimed production is firing on all cylinders, including the innuendo-stuffed dialog, catchy songs, ceaselessly up-for-it performances and superbly inventive sets. Often painfully funny, the show also carries a wonderful emotional kick.

It's the tale of hopeful young Dick (Peyton-Hill), who arrives in London not with a cat but a sassy Insta-star Frenchie named Ariana. But his fashion career is cut abruptly short. Then he meets street-smart Alex (Johnson), who is earning a crust selling generic Covid vaccines and believes that he is the Spirit of London. Alex's undertaker father Fitzwarren (Walwyn) is also taken by Dick, which explains why he's ignoring his wife Sarah (the great Baldwin, in his seventh Above the Stag panto). Meanwhile, Queen Rat (Biddington) is determined to be elected London's next mayor, chasing the action to a Mediterranean island where Fitzwarren's much livelier twin brother (also Walwyn) holds the key to everyone's fate.

Biddington, Johnson,
Peyton-Hill and Baldwin

Comical touches spring from every direction, including broad slapstick, witty wordplay, wacky character details and random asides. Almost every joke elicits a big laugh, while the songs are also packed with cleverly playful lyrics that are both ridiculous and instantly evocative, such as a celebration of going on holiday and ordering dinner from an illustrated menu. Of course, the title character's name is the main source of double entendre, accompanied by timely jabs at everything from politics to pop culture.

Each of the five cast members is on scene-stealing form, although it's Baldwin's impeccable timing and quick-witted improvisational skills that shine the brightest. As the show's dame, he's loveable and outrageously hilarious, constantly injecting deranged rhyming slang amid a wildly colourful parade of costumes. Biddington's villain adeptly channels rock-goddess mayhem as she creates constant chaos. And Walwyn's dual role is hugely amusing even before the brothers have their enormous confrontation, a genius combination of clever direction and sharp-witted acting. Which leaves the endearing Peyton-Hill and Johnson to infuse the show with heart and soul. And even more ribaldry.

Biddington and Walwyn

This is a relentlessly rude show that's refreshingly unafraid to go for the smuttiest joke imaginable, maintaining an unusually high energy level from start to finish. It's inventive and unexpected, beautifully staged with eye-catching video-augmented sets that vividly create atmospheres from rat-infested sewers to a sun-drenched paradise. And it's the perfect tonic for pulling us out of our pandemic funk just in time for the holidays.

For details: ABOVE THE STAG

10.Nov.21

Stage: The gardens of love

The Pleasure Garden
by Glenn Chandler
music Charles Miller
dir Fenton Gray
with Sam Baumal, Jay Worley, Rory-Charlie Campbell, Ashleigh Harvey, Jennie Jacobs, Bea Amora Wong, Steve Watts, Jonathan Harlaw
Above the Stag Theatre, Vauxhall, London • 15.Sep-17.Oct.21

Campbell, Worley, Harvey and Baumal

The adept team at Above the Stag are back with a new musical for the autumn season, blending light comedy with darker drama. Set where the theatre sits today in Vauxhall, but nearly two centuries ago, the show highlights both the vast differences in London's landscape as well as similarities deeper in the culture. The idea of a fading society caught up in bigotry and war are eerily familiar, which makes the show's mix of comedy and melancholy a bit of a challenge.

It's the 1850s, and Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens has been one of London's leading entertainment venues for nearly 200 years, with acres of cultivated trees and flowers, including some overgrown areas favoured by those looking for a romantic hideaway. Meanwhile, public performances draw in crowds to watch musicians, circus acts and fireworks, plus rides in hot air balloons and military re-enactments, all of which are part of this story. But from the 1840s, the owners struggled to make the park financially viable, and its days are numbered.

Jacobs and Watts

Among those wandering through the trees are Ralph (Jay Worley), a well-dressed clerk who catches the wide-eyes of soulful gardener Tom (Sam Baumal). As their romance blossoms, Tom gets a job offer he can't refuse from the leery Lord Roger (Rory-Charlie Campbell), whose wife Lady Maude (Ashleigh Harvey) has begrudgingly been living with his inability to resist temptation. Also roaming around the park and becoming entangled in this story are two people concealing their true identities: young Captain Antrobus (Jennie Jacobs), who is preparing to head to the Crimean War, and the lively performer Princess Saura (Bea Amora Wong).

There are some terrific comical touches along the way, mainly in Lady Maude's riotously funny asides. Accompanied by excellent on-stage musicians, the songs are peppered with witty wordplay and lots of innuendo, even as the show retains a prudish sense of Victorian morality. And the sets are nicely designed with colourful video imagery and inventive effects work. So it feels strange that the story and tone are so gloomy and never remotely sexy. This awkward mix undermines the romance between Ralph and Tom, leaving it feeling strangely unresolved from the start.

Wong

The cast members give it everything they've got, and are terrific at adding little touches of emotion and humour in just the right places. They also sing beautifully, often with full-voiced power. The likeable Worley and Baumal have chemistry together, although the direction never exploits it. Campbell and Harvey steal the show with their amusing antics. And Wong has terrific presence in a complex role. Less effective is Steve Watts as a range of side characters; his French officer is enjoyably blustery, but his hermit never quite feels like part of this story.

While the strong issues around identity are carefully woven into the narrative, the show is framed with telling present-day scenes that briefly touch on the current construction boom in the area, where blocks of flats are being built as investment properties for Russian and Arab billionaires, sucking the life out of the community. Perhaps a bit more development of these themes, as well as a little more joy in the love stories, might have given the plot and characters a more jaunty kick.

Worley and Baumal

23.Sep.21