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One hundred people’s ninth favourite thing: [title of show] @swkplay

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[title of show] takes you back to a time before the fast paced social media where word of mouth for a positive show came from chat boards, video diaries or (god forbid) blogs. A simple staging makes it an ideal (and economical piece to stage), but it’s sweet and earnest take on just putting on a show, and putting it out there and taking a chance gives this show its heart. With a strong and energetic cast and endless musical theatre references, it’s hard to resist and it’s currently playing at the Southwark Playhouse .  It opens with Hunter (Jacob Fowler) and Jeff (Thomas Oxley) as struggling young writers in New York City. An upcoming New York Musical Theatre festival, inspires them to write an original musical within three weeks to make the deadline. As they discuss ideas, writers block, distractions and endless other good and bad musicals, an idea for a show emerges. Which is about writing a show for a musical theatre festival.  Their friends Heidi (Abbie Budden) and Susan (Mary Moor

Sleight of hand: The Fabulist @charingcrossthr


Billed as a musical comedy, The Fabulist is actually a rare chance to see Giovanni Paisiello’s rarely performed light opera, The Imaginary Astrologers, translated and updated to Mussolini’s Italy. With sublime music, fine singing and a bit of additional silliness thrown in for good measure, it’s a welcome addition to the choices available on the West End. It’s currently playing at Charing Cross Theatre.

In this update, the action moved to Italy in 1929. A magician (or, as he prefers to be called, Fabulist), Julian is on the run from both the fascists and the Catholic Church. On the run, he stumbles on a film shoot and dazzles the screenwriter Clarice with his charm while her sister tries to complete a series of mildly subversive historical films. What will win in a battle of ideas between science and magic, the church and the Fabulist? It’s an evening of light operatic comedy, so there are no prizes for guessing. 


Experts in clerical fascism and fascist mysticism may find some of the plot points a bit suspect. And this update adds a few too many layers of complexity to the delicate music. But even with these labours, they don’t get too much in the way of high-spirited and fast-moving shows.

Watching the cast sing and add a dash of high jinks to the evening is a delight. I saw the alternate cast (not pictured), which had baritone Jack Holton as Julian and Marienella Phillips as Clarice, both in fine voice and comic timing. Holton could even show he had a few magical tricks up his sleeve. James Paterson is hilarious as Count Petronius, trying to get his daughter to marry someone better. Stuart Pendred makes a delightfully evil Cardinal Bandini.

It is a rare opportunity to see an informal staging of a rare operetta that takes the source material and gives it a new perspective. Hopefully, it won’t be the last. Directed by John Walton with music direction and orchestration by Bobby Goulder. Based on Giovanni Paisiello’s Gli astrologi immaginari, with new book and translations by James P. Farwell. The Fabulist is at Charing Cross Theatre until 21 September. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️




Photos by Mark Senior

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