NB: This short review will appear only on this blog. It is not written for, or published in Herald Sun. I've been having a break from reviewing. KH
MUSICAL THEATRE
Music & Lyrics by Steven Lutvak; Book & Lyrics by Robert L Freedman; Based
on novel by Roy Horniman; by The Production Company
At Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne, until November
18, 2018
Reviewer: Kate Herbert; reviewed on
Sun Oct 28, 2018
Alec
Guinness’s inimitable virtuoso portrayal of multiple characters in the British
comedy, Kind Hearts and Coronets, inspired me as child to choose a career in
character comedy (Yes, I was doing that long before reviewing!).
This
daffy, Tony award-winning musical, A
Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, is the same story with a different title and, in a nod to Guinness’s
performance, Mitchell Butel plays all eight, toffy members of the D’Ysquith
family.
With
consummate comic timing and versatile characterisation, Butel plays pompous
aristocrats, a camp dandy, a blousy dame, an execrable actress, a lisping vicar
and the refined head of the D’Ysquith family.
Chris
Ryan is in fine voice playing Monty Navarro,
the penniless clerk who discovers he is ninth in line to be Lord D’Ysquith. But
the D’Ysquiths dismiss Monty’s claim so he starts knocking off all eight heirs
to the Earldom. Monty narrates his story from a jail cell.
The show is a diverting night in the theatre, with plenty of laughs at the expense of these upper class Twits and lots of quirky character performances by Butel.
The orchestra is tight and finely tuned, but the songs (music & lyrics, Steven Lutvak; book & lyrics, Robert L Freedman), despite their witty lyrics and smart rhymes, all start to sound the same in the end.
This show is like Gilbert and Sullivan colliding with Oscar Wilde and an old fashioned Ealing comedy. It's fun and frivolous but it breaks no new ground in musical theatre.
The show is a diverting night in the theatre, with plenty of laughs at the expense of these upper class Twits and lots of quirky character performances by Butel.
The orchestra is tight and finely tuned, but the songs (music & lyrics, Steven Lutvak; book & lyrics, Robert L Freedman), despite their witty lyrics and smart rhymes, all start to sound the same in the end.
This show is like Gilbert and Sullivan colliding with Oscar Wilde and an old fashioned Ealing comedy. It's fun and frivolous but it breaks no new ground in musical theatre.
by Kate Herbert
Cast:
Mitchell
Butel -all eight members D’Ysquith family
Chris
Ryan -Monty Navarro
Nancye
Hayes- Miss Shingle
Alinta
Chidzey – Sibella Hallward
Genevieve
Kingsford – Phoebe D’Ysquith
Roger Hodgman director
Kellie
Dickerson Musical Director
Isaac
Lummis Costumes
Christine
Smith Set
Matt
Scott Lighting
Production
Company Orchestra
Dana
Jolly choreography
No comments:
Post a Comment