The strongest facet of this production is without a doubt the ability of all those involved to keep it fresh and up to date without losing track of the original format. In addition to a wonderful array of novel send-ups written by Gerard Alessandrini and aptly fittingly directed and choreographed by Phillip George, we can marvel at some real power house performances. Anna Jane Casey gives a stunning turn, juggling famous belter impressions (such as Liza Minelli) and classic Rodgers and Hammerstein ingénues with astounding ease. It is clear that she is a rare and true triple threat. Sophie Louise Dann’s earth shattering vocals comes in handy for the coloratura soprano characters she tackles in the show. Equally, she is however very capable of toning the mood down when lecturing us in delightfully heightened received pronunciation, as a mocking Mary Poppins or as a high strung Hannah Waddingham lamenting the commercial disinterest of the most recent production of A little night music with “Send in the crowds”. Alasdair Harvey successfully adorns a swift succession of bizarre props and head gear throughout the evening but his comic timing is best showcased in “You gotta have a puppet” (where he is clearly a front runner for a part in Avenue Q) while Steven Kynman thoroughly convincingly handles a bunch of teenage roles ranging from Daniel Radcliffe trying to cope with his wandering wand in Equus to an electric Billy Elliott being doted on by a rather overenthusiastic Elton John. Together they romp their way through some bits from Oliver, aptly re-titled “Continuously high priced”, referring to the daunting phenomenon of ever-rising ticket prices. The staging and design of the production is simple but apt and Joel Fram does well at simultaneously musically directing and accompanying the show on a piano placed amongst (and sometimes as part of) the action on the stage.   

 

The audience was clearly mostly made up of musical theatre devotees, many of whom seemed to “get it” even before the joke was fully unveiled and who were completely taken over by the infectious energy bouncing off the stage. Continuous laughter was definitely the theme of this evening and even the hardest of critics would have had to allow themselves a chuckle now and then. Although not the most accessible show to the general public due to its insider value and lacking somewhat in detail at times, there is little to truly fault and this is certainly one of the musical theatre highlights of the season. The Menier has done it again and I shall definitely be hoping for a transfer.