Curve, Leicester
Wednesday 4th
March, 2020
‘Hide your face so the world will never find you’
And now for something completely different… Following the
intimate storytelling of Rob Ward’s one man play, The MP, Aunty Mandy and Me the previous night, we returned to Curve
for a show that is much grander in scale; the new touring production of Andrew
Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.
The stark contrast between these two equally enjoyable shows reminds me just
why I love the theatre so much – the infinite variety, the imaginative scope,
the escapism, the immersiveness, the grandeur, the visual and thematic audacity.
And it all happens live, right before
your eyes. Magic is real, ladies and gentlemen, and it occurs on stages up and
down the country every night. There is nothing on Earth quite like it.
It seems very apt then that, as I exult in the glories of the
theatre, the piece that has sparked this adulation is itself a love-letter to
the arts. Say what you want about Lloyd Webber’s hokeyness, his habit of
recycling old melodies, or his financial dominance in musical-land – he knows
how to put on a damn fine show! And with Phantom
being perhaps the most personal of his oeuvre, his passion for music and the
arts comes across in the sheer ambition of the piece, and the hard work and
talent of everyone involved.
The story of a social outcast murderously infatuated with a
young, talented ingénue is well documented, so I needn’t go into the specifics
of the plot. As a fan of Gothic literature I’m willing to brush aside the
problematic aspects of the story - aka ‘Stockholm Syndrome: The Musical’ - as
it’s a pretty perfect example of the genre and all of its underlying social,
sexual and psychologically meaty themes. And because of this generic complexity,
combined with Lloyd Webber’s sensuous music (‘Music of the Night’ and ‘The
Point of No Return’ are sexy songs!) and magnetic performances from the leads,
the audience readily accepts the Phantom, a cold blooded serial killer, as a
romantic/Romantic figure. Lloyd Webber and lyricists Charles Hart and Richard
Stilgoe struck gold with their ability to call upon our innate desires and
repulsions, and our fascination with the grotesque, the beautiful and the
wielding of power in all shapes and forms. Upon this foundation a musical
sensation was built, sustained and continues to tower over its peers.
Of course, much of the success lies in the hands of the cast.
Christine must be more than a simpering waif, the Phantom must compel our
sympathy, and the two must have a convincing chemistry to get us fully on board
with the melodramatics of the plot. Gladly, the show is in safe hands with
Holly-Anne Hull and Killian Donnelly at the helm. In a demanding role, Hull
confidently holds the piece together, making Lloyd Webber’s notoriously
difficult soprano solos seem effortless and rich. Donnelly continues to cement
his reputation as the leading man in
musical theatre with a performance that traverses the full spectrum of human
emotion, while also bringing a physicality and tactile edge to the role that I
haven’t noticed previously. Adam Linstead, Matt Harrop and Saori Oda provide
comic relief as the flustered Opera House owners, Andre and Firman, and the
stroppy prima donna, Carlotta. Importantly, the exceptional company bring to
life all the hectic bustle of 19th Century backstage society. As a
theatre nerd I love peeking beyond
the wings into the not-so-glamourous side of showbusiness.
I saw the London production as a teen around a decade ago,
and while the music and mood have always stayed with me, I’d quite forgotten
how visually impressive Phantom is. Cameron
Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group have pulled out all the stops for this
tour, from the multitudes of lavish scenery – exquisitely reproduced by Matt
Kinley from Maria Bjornson’s original designs - the lustrous costumes and all
the whizz-bang tricks we expect of a supernatural thriller-cum-Mega Musical. No
one can complain that you don’t get your money’s worth!
From the moment the orchestra struck up those famous chords
in the overture (on a personal note, can I say how much I love all those 80’s
power chords, haha!) I was spellbound
and I’m so pleased that the show still lives up to its spine-tingling renown.
The production is brimming with enchanting set-pieces, such as the iconic
chandelier crash, the eerily beautiful candle-lit boat ride to the Phantom’s
cavernous lair, and the epic carnival of ‘Masquerade’. My fiancé (and
co-blogger) hadn’t seen Phantom
before (nope, not even the flaccid 2004 film adaptation), and as a
self-confessed sceptic, it’s safe to say he was completely won over by the show
in every aspect.
The production is spectacular in the truest sense, and even
the most curmudgeonly of spectators will find something to enthuse over. If I could, I would buy a ticket and see the show again this
evening (and the next, and the one after that, and… you get the picture!), and
that is the surest sign of a great production. While in some spheres it may be
unfashionable to like Lloyd Webber, and many will agree that his recent work
has produced more misses than hits, it’s fair to say that the ALW classics
still hold the power to beguile audiences worldwide, and his reputation as one
of the great composers is fully deserved. Bravo!
The Phantom of the Opera plays at Curve, Leicester until 21st
March and continues on tour.
For details of further venues please visit: https://uktour.thephantomoftheopera.com/
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