This revue style musical weaves together the life stories and motivations of individuals who attempted/succeeded to assassinate presidents of the United States.  After an off-Broadway try-out in 1990 and a stint at the London Donmar in 1992, it won five Tony awards for the 2004 Broadway production. Blending musical styles of eras reflecting the popular music of the day for each of the assassins, we are served sounds ranging from 19^th century American folk music to sixties pop ballads and even vaudeville. The group number “Something just broke”, which has sometimes been omitted from previous versions, closes the show.

Director and choreographer Michael Strassen makes cutting edge statements, such as casting the Balladeer as an Obama-type figure and turning the ensemble into Matrix-like, sunglass-adorning secret agents. His greatest strength however lies in the fact that like great Italian food, he sticks to simply presenting his quality ingredients (including a carefully hand-picked cast) without feeling the need to enhance with unnecessary and distracting extras. The set is plain and basic with the focus set on accurate costumes and authentic props including a clever use of hats in the “How I saved Roosevelt” number. A four-piece instrumental accompaniment is placed discreetly upstage left.

Glyn Kerslake as the assassins forefather John Wilkes Booth gives a stunning dramatic and vocal performance, never losing a sense of bitter irony and leading the company with perfected ease. John Barr as aspiring Ambassador to France Charles Guiteau entertains with excellence as an almost Chaplin-like figure while newcomer Adam Jarrell as Polish immigrant Leon Czolgosz portrays with strong honesty, proving he is a talent to watch closely for the future. We get gritted teeth, rage and passion aplenty from Joe Alessi as Italian stomach pain sufferer Zangara, whilst Nick Holder as Samuel Byck holds the audience spellbound in the palm of his hand with his booming monologues and expression of terrifying desperation.

Leigh McDonald and Alison Larnder are quite the pair as Manson-clan-member Fromme and former FBI informant Moore while Paul Callen as Jodie Foster obsessed Hinckleydepicts a nice, subdued contrast to their volatile antiques. Nolan Frederick proves to be a very classy yet mischievous narrator, Marc Joseph as proposed JFK assassinator Oswald succeeds in heightening the atmosphere to a whole new level towards the end of the evening with his appearance, and Lisa Stokke contributes a strong acting cameo as freedom fighter Emma Goldman.        

Sucked in from the start right until the closing mantra “Everybody’s got the right”, we are transported into the souls and minds of political rebels and activists tackling aspects of society still thought provokingly relevant today. This seamlessly performed and sensitively constructed gem has certainly got the right for a West End transfer.