Evita
Bill Kenwright by special arrangement with
The Really Useful Group
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s image of Evita addressing the crowd from the balcony of the Casa Rosada has become one of the most iconic in musical theatre and the show’s lyrics some of Tim Rice’s most famous. Expectations are high and the show depends on great performances, which this production has in spades.
A simple set design allows the company plenty of space for expression and is brought to life by Mark Howett’s imaginative lighting design, consistently evocative of the architecture and culture of the Argentinean capital.
"Takes the audience
on an emotionally
satisfying round trip"
One of the show’s greatest strengths is the way it balances the personal tragedy of a relationship falling to pieces due to Evita’s illness with the wider tragedy of Argentina’s crumbling economy.
It makes it possible, in the universal experience of death, for us to see Eva Peron as an unfortunate and vulnerable woman overcome by the temptations of power, rather than a woman who abused that power to embezzle millions from the national coffers.
Louise Dearman in the title role excels at portraying Eva Peron’s human appeal, from her rise from obscurity to her professions of love for her nation’s people. Her depiction of fear and loss is particularly moving as Evita struggles to accept the inevitable in You Must Love Me, her dying duet with Peron, played powerfully and with gravitas by Mark Heenehan. Despite a commanding performance overall, it is the show’s star song, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, where Dearman lacks the necessary emotional punch.
On the other hand, Nikki Mae as Peron’s mistress, singing Another Suitcase in Another Hall, tugs at the heartstrings with her purity of voice balanced by a poignant crack at its edge.
Seamus Cullen is impressively versatile as Che, who acts not so much as the revolutionary, but as commentator, Eva’s conscience and voice of the masses. He shows remarkable energy as he barely leaves the stage, effectively and unobtrusively directing the action throughout.
In a show that is so magnificently put together it seems finicky to focus on a minor hiccup, but an ill-conceived idea involving several full-length dressing mirrors left half the audience blinded and shielding their eyes, somewhat detracting from the performance.
On the whole, however, Evita takes the audience on an emotionally satisfying round trip, beginning and ending with the death of Eva Peron. Its exploration of the legend, rather than the life, of Evita has become as legendary as the woman herself.
Caroline Scott-Thomas
Reviewed at Edinburgh Playhouse in June 2008.
September 1-13 2008, King's Theatre, Glasgow. Tel: 0870 060 6648. www.theambassadors.com
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What the papers said:
The Herald:
*** "Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's finest couple of hours... [it's] a shame Seamus Cullen makes such a wet revolutionary"
The List:
**** "Slick chorus numbers, the easy blend of personal/political storyline and, of course, the Rice/Lloyd Webber dream team score keep this show as fresh as the day it was born"
The Scotsman:
**** "This remarkable show certainly receives full value from this glamorous, good-looking and beautifully sung Bill Kenwright touring production"
