27th November, 2025
Curve, Leicester
“Silver white winters that melt into
springs”
Often voted amongst the public’s favourite musicals, the film
adaptation of The Sound Of Music is a staple of many a festive TV
schedule. And while sweeping shots of the Austrian hills, singing nuns and
Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer’s sizzling chemistry has entertained my
family for decades, it comes as a surprise even to me that I had yet to see the
Rodgers and Hammerstein classic on stage. Thus it was with delight that I took
my seat for Curve’s annual Christmas treat with great anticipation, ready to
have my goosebumps tingled and my cockles warmed. And, as is often the case,
Nikolai Foster and the creative team do not disappoint, offering an evening
filled with spectacle, drama and glorious music.
Fearing that she is not cut out for convent life, young novitiate,
Maria, is sent by her Mother Abbess to be a governess to a widowed Captain’s
seven unruly children. Maria soon embeds herself into the von Trapp family life
and romance ensues against a backdrop of political unease and the threat of
Nazi occupation.
Foster has reassembled much of the team behind last year’s
critically acclaimed production of My Fair Lady, not least it’s two
stars, Molly Lynch and David Seadon-Young, who make for an incredibly likeable
Maria and Georg, displaying an easy chemistry that has the audience rooting for
them from the off. Lynch’s Maria is free-spirited, with a rebellious edge. Coupled
with the choice to perform with her natural Irish accent, Lynch immediately
puts all thoughts of Julie Andrews’ iconic performance aside. Seadon-Young is
less brooding than audiences are perhaps used to, but I enjoyed his slight
awkwardness in his portrayal of the Captain. There’s an insecurity to the
strict, stuffed-shirt persona displayed when Maria first meets him, which makes
the thawing of his character even more endearing. The two leads receive fine
support from a kindly Joanna Riding as Mother Abbess (the relationship between
her and Maria has a real warmth), Aviva Tulley’s earnest and suitably youthful
Liesl, and Minal Patel’s jovial Max Detweiler. The child cast are wonderfully
down to earth, enhanced by Ebony Molina’s choreography which places an emphasis
on childlike joy.
Foster’s production eschews any tweeness associated with The
Sound of Music, instead embracing a darker tone, at times reminiscent of
Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret. Michael Taylor’s superb set stages the action
amidst the Austrian hills – complete with a copse of birch trees and running
waterfall – an ever-present reminder of the bucolic idyll that is threatened by
the impending fascist regime. The Act One finale in which the Mother Abbess
sings ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’ with the intention of comforting and inspiring
Maria to embrace her true self, is imbued with a sinister foreshadowing as Nazi
stormtroopers infiltrate the distant hills. While not quite as chilling as Cabaret’s
infamous ‘Tomorrow Belongs To Me’, Foster strikes a similarly disconcerting
tone by juxtaposing hopeful music with nightmarish imagery.
While the 1965 film adaptation expands the story, allowing
time for the central romance to breathe, the fast-paced nature of this stage
production successfully creates a sense of the tensions and doom-laden
inevitability of pre-WWII Europe. The show hurtles towards its conclusion in
the manner of a thriller, completely at odds with the care-free idealism of the
opening scenes. This production has made me look at an all time classic with
fresh eyes – no easy feat – while retaining many of the feel-good aspects we
all grew up loving (‘My Favourite Things’, the curtain to clothes
transformation, fun singing lessons, and thunderstorm frolics). Curve have yet
again produced a musical treat for the festive season, for audiences of all
ages to enjoy and contemplate.
The Sound of Music plays at Curve until 17th January 2026.
For further information please visit: The
Sound of Music - Curve Theatre, Leicester
The von Trapp family in The Sound of Music - Photography by Marc Brenner
