Firstly, it’s a prime example of Sondheim’s love for unusual stories (who knew there was a musical in a man not knowing he wanted to get married), as well as his ability to create pitch perfect scores – with music that is layered and complex and beautiful and emotive all at the same time and utterly rewarding to listen to. There were a vast number of standout songs for me throughout the piece (many of which have been popping into my head and, occasionally, out of my lips at inopportune moments). Like the softly splendid Sorry-Grateful or the upbeat aggression of You Could Drive A Person Crazy (I particularly loved that this featured the trio of girlfriends dressing themselves with clothes hidden around the set – not to mention them shoving the bed, Bobby and all, beneath the raised platform) or the spectacular manicness of Side by Side by Side with Bobby acting as an intoxicated conductor.
There were also, despite the entire ensemble being incredible, plenty of standout performances. Cassidy Janson remains a favourite, particularly with the show stopping Getting Married Today – which she managed to perform as if she was completely on the edge every second just waiting to fall. It was a number also graced with a lot of wonderfully striking visual images – like Amy polishing shoes in her wedding dress or clinging to the table beneath the checkered table cloth. I also ended up really loving Katie Brayben as April, who was fabulously self deprecating throughout and who gave a fantastically funny performance of Barcelona.
Really though, there could only be one star of the show – Rupert Young as Bobby. I was a little surprised to see him on the cast list given that I only know him from TV and had no idea he did stage work, let alone that he could sing. He was an utter revelation for me (and another performer to stalk... I mean, support). He gave a very different performance to the only other Bobby I’m aware of – Raul Esparza – whose performance for me was characterised by a droll cynicism. Instead Young was puppyish – enthusiastic, lovingly devoted to his friends and utterly instinctive and impulsive. The warmth in his character completely drew you in, whilst beneath it was slowly revealed his darker side – selfish, self-destructive, irresponsible and filled with simmering anger. It was a very complete and very compelling portrayal and led to fantastically nuanced performances of Marry Me A Little and Being Alive.
I also loved how this production highlighted Bobby’s chameleonic character – the way he changes to attract and please whoever he is with at the time (it’s a theme that echoes through the whole musical with its pleasing repetition of his various names – Bobby, Robert, Robby etc). Young handled this aspect excellently, shifting in small ways whilst managing to maintain a core Bobby-ishness throughout. Perhaps this incessant sequence of masks, is why I enjoyed the moments so much which take place inside Bobby’s head (though arguably this could include the entire musical) – sequences like Poor Baby, which allowed little glimpses into his real feelings.
As well as becoming a devoted fan of Bobby, I was pleased to find that I also enjoyed spending time with all the couples we get to see through his eyes – even when they weren’t overly nice, they were human and very likable. In fact it was impossible not to like them when you were watching them ride in on children’s tricycles or wrestle each other to the ground karate style. The wide variety of couples we were given also added a huge amount of hidden depth to the story and by the end I only felt I’d begun to scratch the surface of what they reflected and represented.
The performances alone would have made this production an utter winner, but I also really enjoyed the staging. I’m enjoying seeing musicals outside the traditional proscenium arch setting more and more, as unfairly it almost automatically makes them feel fresh and modern to me. It also, of course, gives you the chance to see the choreography from interesting angles and here made the entire proceedings feel very intimate. I also felt that the set, though simple, worked very effectively – particularly the ability to move and rearrange the furniture – which led to some very creative staging choices during the production and allowed the musical to flow smoothly. There were some interesting moments as well when Bobby came to sit among the crowd – a very palpable distancing of himself from the things he no longer wished to cope with. Lastly, I really loved throughout the recurring symbolism of the cake and the wish, especially the subtle way it changed throughout and the striking last image of Bobby alone highlighted by the candles.
A truly excellent production through and through, beautiful, moving and utterly infused with humanity.
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