JR Blog
Günter Grass's transgressive Peter Pan, refusing to grow up in 20th-century Europe, proves equally disturbing in Kneehigh's new musical. It’s an odyssey through the first half of the 20th century, an unreliable memoir and a very personal state-of-the-(German) nation allegory – and that's just Günter Grass's epic novel. Now Kneehigh Theatre’s powerhouse
Imagine yourself imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto, 1942, facing the dilemma of whether or not to stand up to your Nazi persecutors. You are one of a company of Jewish actors confined there, determined to stage a play about the siege of Masada in 66BC. The siege ended in the mass suicide of the Jews defending the mountain fortress as the Roman besiegers stormed it, so it has long been a symbol of valiant Jewish resistance to persecution. A poem telling this story is said to have inspired the Warsaw uprising, and it’s upon this premise that Shuki Levy (music), David Goldsmith (lyrics) and Glenn Berenbeim (book) based this valiant musical attempt to bring the two uprisings together. Sasha Regan’s award-winning Union Theatre has a fine track record of small-scale musical revivals and it certainly succeeds better than the full-blown 2008 New London Theatre premiere.
A Jewish theatre company confined in the Warsaw Ghetto performs a play about the Jews of Jerusalem retreating to Masada, drawing the obvious parallel between their Nazi oppressors and the Roman invaders. Their director Daniel manages to sell this subversive show to Nazi Captain Blick: “It’s got singing, dancing and all the Jews die in the end”. He even manages to hide Adam, a fugitive resistance fighter from the Nazis (Shaun McCourt), by casting him as the humane Roman commander who falls in love with Tamar, daughter of the Jewish leader (Lauren James Ray). Of course Adam falls for Rebecca, Daniel's daughter playing Tamar. And then the Jewish actors face an impossible dilemma, as Adam reveals the truth of the concentration camps…
Levy’s music can be attractive (the opening number recalling ‘The Last Day of Summer’ before the 1939 invasion of Poland, is a wistful earworm. The title song is a great vehicle for Nick Wyschna’s Daniel, keeping his company together against the odds and Wyshna himself is the vital heart of the production. The grim determination expressed in the defiant number Masada, though, becomes an unwelcome earworm, not least because it recurs once too often. Many numbers are simply too long, though all are beautifully played by the hard-working quartet of musicians (piano, fiddle, bass and drums), unaccountably not credited in the programme, apart from MD Alex Williams and musical supervisor Lee Freeman.
The 17-strong company work tirelessly in their roles both as Jews and Nazis and Jews and Romans. Kevan Allen’s choreography is a stunning example of what you can achieve on a simple set. Justin Williams’ multi-levelled platform makes a useful Masada and his terrific collection of crates make useful levels for that dynamic choreography. Harry Blumenau marshals his cast with verve and they tell the story with empathy and passion – and best of all, without microphones.
By Judi Herman
Photos by Nick Brittain
Imagine This runs until Saturday 18 November. 7.30pm (Tue-Sat), 2.30pm (Sat & Sun only). £25, £22.50 concs. Union Theatre, SE1 0LR. www.uniontheatre.biz
Producer Katy Lipson (Aria Entertainment) has a sure eye – and ear – for a hit musical. Between a summer of new musical theatre at The Other Palace, including Some Lovers, Burt Bacharach’s first for years, and the imminent autumn transfer of a sell-out immersive version of tribal rock musical Hair arriving at London’s Vaults from Manchester’s Hope Mills Theatre, comes this West End transfer of a musical that had a hugely successful first outing at Southwark Playhouse.
It isn’t the first high-camp schlock horror movie to make it from screen to stage, though it may be the weirdest (and loudest). Like soulmate Little Shop of Horrors, it’s based on a movie with a musical score added here by David Bryan (yes, Bon Jovi’s keyboardist David Bryan Rashbaum!). In place of the film’s comic-book biffs and bangs – enough to employ an army of Foley artists and stunt-persons – Joe DiPietro’s adaptation of Lloyd Kaufman’s (with Joe Ritter) bracingly violent screenplay has Benji Sperring’s fast-moving, out and loud, in-yer-face direction; designer takis’ versatile three-tier set, incorporating huge vats, library, beauty salon and much more; a loud and lovely five-piece band led by musical Wunderkind Alex Beetschen – and just five extraordinary triple threats playing a cast of (almost) thousands.
In fictional New Jersey town Tromaville, the dastardly Mayor ruthlessly exploits local resources, dumps waste like there’s no tomorrow and is behind local crime syndicates. Meanwhile puny weakling Melvyn is bullied mercilessly until his tormentors crown their violence by throwing him into a vat of toxic waste, transforming him into the (admittedly hideous) superhero Toxic Avenger – green in colour and credentials – sworn to cleanse Tromaville of waste and bullies, including the Mayor; and soon, beloved of pretty, blind librarian Sarah, who ‘sees’ him not exactly for what he is, as she’s convinced ‘Toxie’ is an exotic French name.
Where the film split Melvin/Toxie between two actors, Mark Anderson curls up as Melvin and more than mans up for Toxie. Natalie Hope achieves a spectacular double as sexually predatory, vampish Mayor, her shocking pink décolletage an offensive weapon (the film has a man in suit!), with lightning changes into Melvin’s Mum in hairnet and housecoat – even actually duetting with herself! Ché Francis’ ‘Black Dude’ and Oscar Conlon-Morrey’s ‘White Dude’ morph miraculously into multiple pairs of thugs, henchmen, cops and hilariously, girlfriends. Emma Salvo just gets to be plucky Sarah, in mismatched pop socks, and constantly mislaying her white cane – she really goes for the gleefully politically incorrect, definitely ‘blind’ rather than ‘visually impaired’. All five and their hard-working swing/understudies, Sophia Lewis and Peter Bindloss, have huge, true voices to carry Bryan’s witty (and mostly audible) lyrics. An intoxicatingly tasty – and tasteless – treat.
By Judi Herman
Photos by Irina Chira
The Toxic Avenger the Musical runs until Sunday 3 December. 7.30pm (Tue-Sat; exc. 3 Oct), 3.30pm (Sat only), 3pm & 6.30pm (Sun only). £19.50-£59.50. Arts Theatre, WC2HL 7JB. www.toxicavengermusical.co.uk
