Southwark Playhouse, London
*****
It was with some excitement and trepidation that I entered
the Southwark Playhouse to see their much-acclaimed revival of Jerry Herman's Mack & Mabel. Documenting the
real-life story of Hollywood director Mack Sennett and his star-leading lady
Mabel Normand, Mack and Mabel was
hailed as a “flawed masterpiece” accordingly; director Thom Southerland has lovingly
reworked the show for this staging.
Set
against the glamour of an emerging Hollywood picture house, the story centres
on the intimate and often difficult relationship of Mack and Mabel
intelligently and truthfully delivered by Norman Bowman and Laura Pitt-Pulver
respectively. Indeed these two actors are at the top of their game,
particularly Pitt-Pulver whose exquisite vocals soar above the band delivering
a superbly emotional telling of each beautiful song. Her eleven o'clock number Time Heals Everything being particularly
gut wrenching - I wept.
Set against
the elegant haphazard beauty of Jason Denvir’s set, constructed of upright
pianos, suitcases, ladders, and period cameras the powerhouse performance Laura
Pitt-Pulver generously gifts us is devastatingly beautiful. A broken woman
desperately in love and gripped by addiction, she holds the audience from the
moment she appears a feisty young delivery girl to her tragic death in the arms
of her lover. It's a classic diva role, which Pitt-Pulver relentlessly
delivers, with astounding perfection.
The
production is lead by its small but exquisitely utilised ensemble, each actor
offering richly developed characters and together a richness of sound and synchronicity
that is rarely found in current musicals. Each scene effervesces with the all too
familiar joy that the creative process brings: they buzz with the realities of
the early cinema industry. Notably, Stuart Matthew Price delivers an utterly
charming performance in his narrative role along side Jessica Buckby who,
despite not being in a featured role, during each ensemble number was magnetic.
Of course this fine company are a testament to the skill of musical director
Michael Bradley and choreographer Lee Proud whose musical staging uses The
Vault's unusual space to its best; particularly during Tap Your Troubles Away, a fantastically executed tap number.
Ultimately
Mack and Mabel filled me with hope: a
hope for the future of London musical theatre. The Southwark Playhouse have,
yet again, delivered an exquisite production of a challenging piece which not
only rivals any current West End competition but with integrity, grace, style,
and a good deal of tap, knocks the commercial theatres' offerings out of the
ball-park.
Mack & Mabel is running at the Southwark Playhouse
until August 25th 2012.
@mackandmabel @swkplay
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