The Sound of Music

It’s easy to be overly cynical about The Sound of Music. After all, it’s a musical that has dancing nuns, singing Nazis and a collection of songs so annoyingly catchy that they refuse to leave your mind for what seems like eons.

And isn’t it one of the most overplayed films at Christmas every year? With all of that, why should anyone bother paying good money to see it live on stage?

Because it’s bloody good theatre.

For those only familiar with the film, the most surprising thing about the stage version is that it’s a much fuller story. Each of the characters have more depth, some significantly, and the songs are woven into the narrative more effectively, including some numbers not featured in the film and others that have a different context. It’s also a darker tale, with the wave of Nazism crashing over the characters with harsher results than the slight flavour hinted at in the film.

Jeremy Sams’ direction is brilliant, finding many excellent ways of fleshing out plot and character while allowing for many creative and impressive flourishes. His work is complimented by effective choreography and excellent design concepts.

The cast are also uniformly brilliant. Getting a group of children to not only play convincing characters but to do so with such panache is no small feat, and so both the children and the production team who have handled their performances should be well commended.

The production has many great performances, but let’s be honest: this production exists solely for Connie Fisher. Fisher won the role of Maria in a TV show and I am pleased to report that she not only shows the great potential that was seen four years ago on TV but has actually grown significantly. She is not only an excellent singer but dances well and proves herself to be a very effective comedienne at key moments. If there is one flaw it is that the public may have grown to expect her to only play Maria, which is a shame because she shows such potential for playing other great roles.

Whether or not you are a fan of the film, this production of The Sound of Music is essential viewing for any theatregoer. It not only shows that musicals can tackle difficult plot points while still having a sense of fun, it also does one of the 20th century’s greatest artistic achievements proud.