Nick Winston’s West End revision of the Wildhorn-Black musical rifles through the country in this newly opened montage currently touring until the end of the year. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this blasting production has enough ammunition to be worth a shot.
You love who you love… Arg, you’ve said it girl – nothing 7like the tough guy with the big pistol to shoot you deep and hard. What?! Seriously, what have I said? No room for pious here, cuz this show is about exactly the opposite. If you like it passionate, adventurous and rough, here’s my number. And also, the story of the most romanticized fugitives in probably all history may also do the trick – and make you bite the bullet in the most pleasurable of ways.
Welcome (though hide your safes and savings) Bonnie and Clyde, the fieriest musical not in town anymore – but now all across the country. Just like the real bandits terrorizing the American Midwest, the play takes a poetic turn by charming audiences while hitting the road, bringing along the savoury danger and enchanting affair that’s captivated the imagination of their contemporaries and of every new generation to come.
With music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Don Black and book by Ivan Menchell, the show pulls off the heist by assembling, with almost complete flawlessness, all of its central pieces in its writing – providing us with an engaging, relatable and, ultimately, moving plot endowed with insight, sentiment and understanding to the infamously popular pair. With a score that’s already settled into any MT nerd’s repertoire for a few years now, its freshness is still palpable – giving us the chance to breath in relief by watching a recent musical that, in comparison to most of its modern peers, is plagued with highly emotional and incredibly memorable melodies from start to finish.
There are, however, a few scratches to be spotted throughout what’s, in general, a rather immaculate surface. The book might be the greatest contributor to such blemishes. Though featuring rather strong dialogue, one can’t help but perceive some disconnections between the numbers and spoken parts – not because they lack relatability between them, but because many cues do not create a sufficient buildup to make the transition from talking to singing fully organic. A minor mistake easy to be fixed nonetheless, as every song in the work’s outline is strongly justified, but we don’t come to that realization way until several renditions go pass their first half – just because they haven’t been introduced in the most proper way.
A similar issue occurs at the beginning of the montage, requiring a better paced structure to let the account’s exposition land. With no Overture (not an indispensable trait, but possibly an addition this work could benefit from to set its tone), the narration jumps, almost directly, to the “I want” song – not delivering enough presentation for the characters’ universe, while also missing some subtlety in its lyrics by stating the purpose of the song in too obvious a manner (they do say “I want” a lot). On the other hand, the second act could include a few more numbers, while Clyde’s ending monologue would work better if accompanied by music and, at least on and off, some chanting.
Nonetheless, all of these bumps are, in the end, very minor tweaks in what turns out to be an extremely enjoyable production. Directed and choreographed by Nick Winston, its clever blocking, energetic dance moments and beautifully evocative images bring out the zest (and blaze) of what’s already derringer of a show. With sets and costume by Philip Witcomb, lighting by Zoe Spurr and video design by Nina Dunn, the three elements work seamlessly to create a compellingly detailed picture despite the apparent simplicity of its staging.
On the other hand, the cast gives one of the greatest contribution to the montage’s triumph – starting with one of the most technically impeccable ensembles the genre has to offer at the moment. As for the leads, Sam Ferriday makes, once again, a memorable appearance now in the role of Clyde’s brother, Buck Barrow – excelling through his rather appealing vocals and superb showmanship. Yet, the biggest praise is earned by Alex James-Hatton and Katie Tonkinson alike in the title roles, constructing a solid, tangible bond soaring beyond the scene, and enriching them with flair and, above all, humanity through their most revitalizing chemistry.
A powder keg of arresting spectacle, hot-pursuing music and driving storytelling, Bonnie and Clyde gives chase to an almost entire success, by carrying out an entertaining, uncomplicated but anyway deep and truthful recount. With amazingly put together performances, eye-catching visuals and the right amount of introspection to give meaning and value to the material, the notorious couple may be, this time, far from having their curtain pulled down – at least, onstage. They say that opportunity makes the thief. And though this piece may have not reached to the point of stealing my heart, it still has managed to break into it anyhow.
All pictures credit to Richard Davenport.
Read our interview with the lead actors of Bonnie and Clyde here!
Bonnie and Clyde is currently on tour across the UK. Tickets and venue information are available on the following link.