Southwark Playhouse, London
*****
With collectively brilliant performances, a sharp newly revised script (Francine Pascal) and score, Mack and Mabel at the Southwark Playhouse proves that this production is one of Jerry Herman’s best works and deserves a higher place in the Musical Theatre hall of fame. Directed with superb intelligence by Thom Sutherland who in his directors note confesses to “falling in love” with the piece long ago, Mack and Mabel proves to be a tragic, passionate, funny, poignant musical with lots of heart and an involving, extremely moving plot.
Based on the true story of Mack Sennett (Norman Bowman) a
silent movie director of the 1900s and Mabel Normand (Laura Pitt-Pulford), the
actress who is plucked from obscurity by Mack when barging in on his film set
delivering a “hot knockwurst on a roll”, the plot charts their turbulent
relationship against the changing world of cinema in America. Pitt-Pulford
gives a breath-taking turn as Mabel, vocals are flawless and her performance is
surely one of the finest currently on a professional London stage. Her
rendition of “Time Heals Everything” is charged with entirely believable desperation
and desolation, and should be a benchmark for aspiring Musical Theatre
actresses. Bowman also shines as the
brooding, handsome, fiercely driven movie-maker Mack and handles his
character’s complex mix of desires and motivations extremely well; his conflict
between caring for the woman he loves and his savage pursuit of making movies
is performed impeccably.
Choreography by Lee Proud is dazzling, executed with style
and pizazz by the small ensemble of six and the rest of the cast in larger
numbers such as “Hundreds of Girls”. Most impressive is the Keystone Cops
sequence “Hit ‘Em On the Head” which is a triumph of physical comedy and dance.
Jessica Martin as the “broken down hoofer” Lottie Ames leads the sensational
tap number; “Tap Your Troubles Away” and Sutherland has made the excellent
decision to give the outsider storytelling roles to Lottie and browbeaten
writer Frank Capra (Stuart Matthew Price) instead of Mack as is the case in the
original 1974 version.
Music newly arranged by Iain Vince-Gatt (Musical Supervisor)
and Michael Bradley (Musical Director/Vocal Arrangements), is buzzing with life
and the memorable melodies are all given a new lease of life with exceptional
vocals from the chorus. In short Mack and
Mabel is a must-see, and a credit to the work of the production team and
cast as a whole. Go and see it, and then see it again.
Book by Michael Stewert
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Revised by Francine Pascal
Based on an idea by
Leonard Spigelglass
Mack and Mabel runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 25th August 2012.
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