Tag Archives: Frances Mayli McCann

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“The Great Gatsby” at the London Coliseum

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, which celebrates its centenary this year, has been turned into a big Broadway musical by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, with the help of onstage cars and plenty of fireworks. Still running in New York, the Coliseum is a suitably splendid London home for a production that proves value for money, even if it lacks surprises.

This show is a tough one not to damn with faint praise: it’s competent, easy, and enjoyable. Kait Kerrigan’s book is a case in point; as an adaptation it is efficient, clear and comprehensive… but also simplistic. Kerrigan doesn’t assume we all know what is going on with the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby and his former, now married, sweetheart Daisy. The affair, alongside Daisy’s husband’s adultery and a romance for her cousin Nick and friend Jordan, makes for a plot that’s interesting enough, but a little like a soap opera.

The show isn’t sure how funny it wants to be; can we laugh at these old-fashioned views, or do we just condemn them? And Gatsby becomes a bit of a joke himself – rather than a mystery – which is a shame for the audience and Jamie Muscato who takes the lead role. The idea of showing Gatsby’s pretensions with a vaguely British twang jars (Muscato can do a better American accent than this). Frances Mayli McCann, who stars as Daisy, also suffers, with a big effort to make her character sympathetic. Their love isn’t questioned in the way Fitzgerald wanted. Both leads have the poorest songs; their fine voices – and they both sound great – cannot disguise this. 

Howland’s score is powerful, if predictable, with period references that are suggestive (including Gilda Grey is a lovely touch). The romantic numbers soar, just as you might expect. And the party theme is suitably catchy. Tysen’s lyrics are less accomplished, but they are clear, and I didn’t cringe. Both benefit from Marc Bruni’s direction and several numbers are elevated by Dominique Kelley’s choreography. An Act Two highlight, Made to Last, with all the main characters, is the only number complex enough to really impress.

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John Owen-Jones

It’s with supplementary characters that The Great Gatsby does best. Corbin Bleu manages to make sure narrator Nick leads the show despite Kerrigan’s lack of interest in the character. There’s a plumped-up role for Jordan (now Nick’s lover) that Amber Davies makes the most of. And we get more of Meyer Wolfsheim, with the shady businessman’s connection to Gatsby made explicit, leading to a rousing number for John Owen-Jones.

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Corbin Bleu, Rachel Tucker and Jon Robyns

Tom and his lover Myrtle are the big surprise, two strong roles for Jon Robyns (who makes a great villain) and Rachel Tucker, who is excellent as always. It’s a pity Myrtle’s long-suffering husband George isn’t elaborated more (not least for Joel Montague who does well in the role) but all together the show feels hefty enough, and the characters contribute to a general air of satisfaction.

Daisy gets a clumsy finale, almost the last word, lamenting the fate of women and coming close to claiming victim status. It’s not that she’s wrong, just that neither the character nor Fitzgerald would say it. While it isn’t a bad thing to break away from source material, that this is the boldest move only highlights that the show needs more inspired touches. There’s nothing embarrassing here and a lot is done well, it just fails to excite.

Until 7 September 2025

www.london.gatsby.com

Photos by Johan Persson

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“Death Note: The Musical” in Concert

There a strong fan base for this project based on Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s manga series. Three shows at the London Palladium sold out quickly – a transfer has been announced – leading to a sense of excitement for the European première of something that promises to be different.

Coming in cold… it’s a mixed bag. The story is good – it’s sold 30 million copies – and the book for the show, from Ivan Menchell, is accomplished. There are strong characters who are admittedly vehicles to raise issues but nonetheless intriguing. A schoolboy called Light, accompanied by a Shinto Kami, can kill people by writing their names in a book. It’s a neat way to raise moral dilemmas. And there’s a detective, the enigmatic ‘L’, tracking down Light for his vigilantism. But the show isn’t as bold as it might be: strong performances and a good atmosphere are its best points.

Concert is a stingy description. The set doesn’t move and there isn’t much choreography, but the lighting design (Ben Cracknell) is advanced, the costumes (Kimie Nakano) good and the characters well developed. Director Nick Winston has focused on his performers and, as a result, the roles are impressively realised by a strong cast.

Joaquin Pedro Valdes sounds great in the lead and shows Light’s arrogance – this hero starts with good intentions, but power goes to his head. Dean John Wilson plays the detective whose motivation seems more intellectual stimulation than justice and is, as usual, excellent. In the middle, often literally, is Ryuk, a supernatural figure who fascinates. This is a great role (performed brilliantly at the Palladium by Adam Pascal) – a real crowd pleaser with an element of danger and humour whose big problem is his sense of boredom!

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Frances Mayli McCann and Aimie Atkinson

There is less success with two female roles: a pop star called Misa (who falls in love with Light) and another Kami parallel the main story but they do not complement it. Both Frances Mayli McCann and Aimie Atkinson have strong voices, but their songs aren’t as good and their characters are less well written. The scene of Misa’s interrogation is ridiculous – let’s hope that was the intention.

Jack Murphy’s lyrics deserve praise if only for their efficiency – it’s all very clear. And, as for the songs, Frank Wildhorn can write a tune. If sometimes unimaginative, they are often catchy. There is an effortful mix of styles in Death Note so the show overall shouldn’t tire.

A lot of the music is earnest, which works well with the story. But the score sounds American through and through. Maybe that’s better than some kind of appropriation. But it lessens the show’s USP compared to your average musical… and that seems a shame.

Transferring to the Lyric Theatre for six performances, 7-11 September 2023

Photos by Mark Senior

www.deathnotethemusical.co.uk

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“Bonnie & Clyde The Musical” at the Arts Theatre

Frank Wildhorn and Don Black’s score for this 2011 musical sounds exemplary. With consistently strong songs and smart lyrics, this is a show that can hold its head high. While not all the numbers feel as if they belong in a story about criminals – and the sense of time and place for these depression era degenerates isn’t convincing – there is barely a weak number to be heard.

The entire cast enjoys this solid material. The production has fine leads, with Frances Mayli McCann and Jordan Luke Gage taking the title roles. Given the stronger written part, Gage’s acting impresses. Director Nick Winston’s production is a quality affair. Although small, the venue feels appropriate for the show and the design from Philip Witcomb is neat, if far from lavish.

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Natalie McQueen and George Maguire

Problems arise with Ivan Menchell’s book and the characterisations here. Time spent on Bonnie and Clyde, looking at their motivations and insecurities, is rewarding. But secondary roles – Clyde’s brother and his wife, as well as a law man who holds a torch for Bonnie – are poor. The performers – George Maguire, Natalie McQueen and Cleve September – sound good, but the roles are written either too comic or too sincere. These issues are worse when it comes to the crime couple’s parents.

Such poor parts are an especial shame, since focusing on how others feel and are affected by Bonnie and Clyde is the show’s smart move. Taking criminals as your protagonists in any drama must be handled sensitively. This show generally avoids the danger, as aspirations for fame seem silly and both fall into violence in a convincingly chaotic fashion. If there’s a little too much sympathy for the gangsters, the show never leaves us in any doubt about how destructive they are. And it really does sound great along the way.

Until 10 July 2022

www.bonnieandclydemusical.com

Photos by Richard Davenport

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“Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour” at the Duke of York’s Theatre

A big hit on the Edinburgh Fringe and at the National’s Dorfman auditorium last year, this coming-of-age show is now out on the town in the West End. Following the day-long misadventures of convent schoolgirls from Oban, let loose in the Scottish capital for a choir competition, it’s raucous fun, peppered with thought-provoking moments and fantastic singing.

Lee Hall’s adaptation of Alan Warner’s book (The Sopranos) is adventurous and tackled at suitable speed by director Vicky Featherstone. Partly a concert – and the singing deserves a second mention – and then a collection of character studies, the six performers all do a terrific job. Frances Mayli McCann’s voice is particularly strong and supremely versatile, while Dawn Sievewright and Isis Hainsworth do well with the strongest story lines, as a young lesbian and a cancer survivor, respectively. There’s plenty of drama in these teenage lives, but a spirit of humour presides. Caroline Deyga delivers insults with enviable skill while Kirsty MacLaren and Karen Fishwick are especially good when taking on male roles. There’s a pretty shaming view of masculinity here, but I am not going to argue with it – I wouldn’t dare take these girls on.

“Really, really rude” language is the warning all over the theatre foyer. And they aren’t joking. The swearing is enough to make a submariner blush – let alone what else they might have to say about him. The discussions of sex are… frank. Impressively, the drink- and drug-filled binge is fun but not glamorised. For all the crudity, Hall and Featherstone want this to be a play that respects its characters. The girls know they aren’t angels but they aren’t hypocrites either. Telling teenage life as it is, even if it makes some squirm, makes this a mature show about youth.

Until 2 September 2017

www.ourladiestheplay.co.uk

Photo by Manuel Harlan