Review of ‘Dark of the Moon’: “Wizard-themed musical is far from bewitching”

It doesn’t matter if the protagonist has magical powers. This show simply doesn’t do the trick. There’s nothing charming about it. And there’s not enough sorcery in this world to erase the boredom, disappointment, and ultimate despair audiences are put through in Dark of the Moon, a new musical based on the 1940s play by Howard Richardson and William Berney and in turn inspired by the popular folk ballad of Barbara Allen.

If you were looking for high romance, excitement, or some profound introspection about the human condition, you’d better lower your standards to the point of nonexistence. Otherwise, you will suffer. And even so, you might as well. Not because of the cast, who, on the whole, do more than justice to the piece. But because of an extremely heavy-handed script that doesn’t seem to know the first thing about character development, plot structure, conflict, and pathos.

Those who enjoyed it (and to find someone who genuinely has would be actual witchcraft) may argue that the adaptation is just faithful to its original source. That’s barely an excuse, however. And a rather poor one. If the story works within the ballad, it’s because of the genre’s condensed nature. Listeners are supposed to fill in the gaps while provided with the recount’s key features.

But it’s not the same case in a two-and-a-half-hour musical, where the personages’ journey is supposed to be more complex and evolve at a completely different pace. Regrettably, everything moves too fast to generate enough tension and eventually connect with the viewer. There’s an element of surprise to their credit, though. No matter how vapid and rushed the narration comes across, they still managed to create an excruciatingly sluggish piece of entertainment. And the last part of that term is debatable.

None of the songs serves their purpose in a satisfactory manner. Despite a safe (and perhaps overly formulaic) musical-number outline, the tunes struggle to delve into the characters’ motivations. They might advance the plot at some moments, but they cannot broaden our understanding of those in it.

The libretto is plagued by shallow lyrics that can’t offer more than a thin, overexpositional layer that leads nowhere. There is no subtext, no subtlety, and no poetic style, with such shimmering samples of banality as “They think they know me, but they don’t know me at all” and cliched similes such as “like an ocean needs a river”, which not only do they fail at their job but make the experience even more off-putting than it already is.

The score is enjoyable but highly unmemorable. A mixture of folk and hard rock forms the basis of what could have been an electrifying and somewhat defining sound. Nothing of the sort ever materialises, though. The melodies are tuneful and emotive, but they lack originality and distinctiveness. They all come across as something we have heard before — only better and far more resourceful. Some recognition should at least be given to the orchestrations, whose adroit combination of keys, percussion, and strings concocts a vivid tapestry of colour, texture, and sentiment.

For the most part, the troupe delivers competently, with some even excelling vocally. The praise is broad but not absolute. And the exception comes from its lead, Glenn Adamson. Although his singing is acceptable, his portrayal of John- a.k.a The Witch Boy -has no sparkle whatsoever. There is no presence, depth, or even feeling in his rendition, which overall comes off flat and widely unappealing.

Lauren Jones delivers a much more proficient performance as Barbara Allen, infusing her character with the passion and credibility the writing never captures while also demonstrating robust vocal technique. A similar mention goes to Josie Benson as the Conjur Woman, whose interpretation swarms with energy and establishes her as the strongest singer in the lot.

It doesn’t work on so many levels. Perhaps, all of them. The premise wasn’t the most unique to begin with. Tales of mythological creatures falling for humans and wanting to become one of them are no strangers to any realm of fiction. But it still has a pulse. And had they found a way to channel it, it would have led to something compelling, meaningful, and ultimately, with a heart.

Wistfully, the inverisimilitudes concerning the characters’ arcs and the script’s complete inability to engage audiences into its conflict- something baffling given it’s a life-or-death situation -make Dark of the Moon anything but a shining star in the theatrical firmament. Contrary to its folklore, it will not put any visitors under its spell. Yet, a few may leave feeling they’ve been cursed.

All pictures credit to Tom Bowles.

Dark of the Moon plays at London’s Charing Cross Theatre until 8 August. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara