“You only reap the harvest that you sow”
Howard Goodall and Stephen Clark’s lush musical take on Erich Segal’s perennial
tearjerker
Love Story gained critical if not commercial success with
its West End run back in 2010, but its beautiful music can now be heard live again with
its off-West-End premiere at the Jack Studio Theatre in Brockley. It was always
a chamber piece and so it suits the intimacy of this fringe venue well and in
Joseph C Walsh’s clever and unmiked production, it provides a welcome reminder
of one of the best new British musical scores of recent times.
But though it is musically excellent, the book does contain issues and they are
sadly all-too-apparent in this interpretation. The story telescopes the
entirety of Jenny Cavilleri and Oliver Barrett IV’s five year relationship,
from its spiky college beginnings through marriage beds and [spoiler alert,
although not really…] hospital beds to its tragic end, into 90 minutes of
fast-flowing narrative and song. But it is so fast, so relentless, that it is
difficult to really invest emotionally into the characters as they are written
here – the show thus relies on pre-knowledge of the story and from the
transcendent strength of the performances (Emma Williams and Michal Xavier both
excelling in this respect in the West End).
Whilst the first of these is out of his control, Walsh is responsible for the
second, and there are mixed results. Caroline Keating’s Jenny is superb (and
the introduction of the character is a brilliant moment), a feisty New York
Italian pianist equally adept with tossing off wisecracks or demonstrating a
gorgeous musicality. But Jonny Muir never really seems at home as alpha male
Oliver, ice hockey star and scion of New England society, lacking the inherent
authority of those born to wealth and the charisma of a man who usually gets
what he wants. They do sound lovely when singing together, it just feels like
Muir would be more at home in a role like Avenue Q’s Princeton which would play
more to his strengths.
The strength of the ensemble of supporting characters who flow around this pair
is pleasing to witness though, especially in the ingenious way that the music
is delivered, and Darren Beaumont’s design is most cleverly conceived, wittily
allowing for the many quick changes. The harmonies of the chorus are a delight
to behold throughout and just as the show winds to its end, Walsh delivers not
one but two coups-de-grâce, a brilliant moment of character progression for
Oliver and a beautiful final image that should bring a tear to even the
stoniest of hearts.
Running time: 90 minutes (without interval)
Booking until 16th November
Labels: Anton Tweedale, Caroline Keating, Daisy Jorgensen, Howard Goodall, Ian Southgate, Jennifer Lucy Cook, John Sears, Jonny Muir, Laura Armstrong, Lesley Molony, Paul Tate
