WOW. This is theatre
at its most captivating, touching and best.
From the moment you are greeted with a simplistic dark
stage, punctuated with minimal beams of red light, your mind is
focussed and alert, ready to absorb every drop of this masterpiece.
The stage gradually becomes more illuminated, and
reveals a run-down 1960's working-class residential urban
neighbourhood set against Merseyside's twinkling city skyline
featuring the famous Royal Liver Building clock towers. Don't be
fooled by this alluring backdrop, there are dark undercurrents afoot.
The story is about
the lives of twin boys, who for reasons that become apparent, grow up
within separate households and social class. It questions at various
stages, whose life is better, and addresses in depth the 'grass is
always greener' idiom, covering their lives and loves; before
ultimately, tragedy strikes.
The show is a compelling watch from the start. Not so
much a musical in the traditional sense as perhaps one would expect;
but more an exquisite dramatic theatrical piece that has 'happens to
have' musical numbers within it. The gripping opening scene
featuring two corpses sparks intrigue, conveys a sense of stark
gravity and has you on the edge-of-your seat from the off. As Niki
Evans, as the emotionally wrought twins' mother Mrs Johnstone utters
the first line of Tell Me It's Not True; already the profound
atmosphere is tangible and audience members' emotions are running
high.
Evans continues in excellent convincing form throughout
the show as the often optimistic, yet long-suffering superstitious
Liverpudlian matriarch on hard-times. She is strong, melodic and
accurate in her performance. One of the main, recurring songs that
Evans sings is the catchy Marilyn Monroe. This number takes on many
guises and is Mrs Johnstone's vocal narrative to many scenes, whether
joyful and comedic, poignant, or matter-of-fact.
Tracy Spencer and Tim
Churchill are well cast as the upper-class desperately childless
Lyons couple, who bring up twin, Eddie.
The whole company
take on many roles throughout, and are adept and highly skilled in
morphing into many diverse characters, from many walks of life, of
various ages.
In particular Sean Jones and Jorden Bird as the two
separated brothers and best friends Mickey and Eddie; and Olivia
Sloyan, as their mutual friend/love-interest Linda; excel in
portraying endearing turbulent characters that begin onstage as
innocent 7-year-olds who know no measure of social boundaries or
presumed/assumed 'class' distinction; transitioning seamlessly to
gawky love-struck teenagers of fourteen; through to fifteen, sixteen,
seventeen, and eighteen year-olds; then grown-up, worlds-apart,
life-experienced, mid to late twenty-somethings.
Marti Pellow is
thoroughly astounding as the commanding, suave, omnipresent Narrator.
As the 'devil on the shoulder' of the two maternal guardians of the
twin boys, he is as louring as the onstage North-Western sky, and is
wonderfully imposing and hypnotic even when his character is taking a
more subtle approach. His foreboding timely reprises of Shoes Upon
the Table and punchy rhythmic rhyming monologues about the onstage
web of deceit are exciting and executed with engrossing elocution.
Throughout, Pellow's mesmerising vocals are clear, strong,
multi-faceted and electrifying.
Duets between Marti Pellow and Niki Evans are
harmonised perfectly and sound like a thousand voices in perfect
synchronisation, such is the artistic melding yet power and depth of
their voices.
Powerful, apt
orchestration, and superb lighting sets each scene impeccably, and
add essential dynamic to the dramatic effect.
It is hard not to
write merely a list of superlative adjectives to describe this show:
shocking, hard-hitting, powerful, enticing, absorbing, touching;
...amazing. Although plot, music and execution and the like are
standalone, truly notable, and of distinction; it is the immense
overwhelming rush of emotions and feelings that one experiences both
during and after the show that is ingrained in your soul and whole
psyche, that supersedes each individual theatrical element and is
embedded in you overall.
The final scene & full rendition of infamous and beautiful Tell Me It's Not True by Mrs Johnstone and the full company, is stunning, gut-wrenching perfection.
Not only the audience, but also the cast had tears in
their eyes at the end of this outstanding show.
In this case, it is not.
