Review: BONNIE & CLYDE THE MUSICAL - FILMED LIVE
Recorded at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Bonnie and Clyde The Musical: Filmed Live sees Jeremy Jordan, who originated the role on Broadway, and Frances Mayli McCann, who then went on to play the original West End Bonnie, in the roles of the celebrity criminals for these specially staged concerts, recorded in January 2022. They served as a precursor to the show then opening at the Arts Theatre, before transferring to the Garrick. It then began a national tour, which was sadly cut short after cancellation. As such, this recording is an even more important artefact, allowing many to access the show despite its cancellation.
Watching this recording is something of a surreal out-of-body experience at times as it cuts to the audience, all wearing masks, reminding us of the lengthy stretch when the only way to access theatre was via a computer screen due to the pandemic, and recorded only six months after several theatres had reopened reminds us of how resilient our industry is.
Whilst the overture plays, the initial filmic elements are a touch jarring, with tracking shots establishing the scenery as the ensemble gather on stage for their initial introductions. The quick-cutting between each of the performers in semi-transparent silhouette, overlaid with gunshots and strobing, is a bit of a sensory overload but this fortunately isn’t a portent for the filming of the rest of the piece, and we quickly settle into the Southern drawl of the performers foretelling how this tragic tale of love, fame and desperation ends.
The scenery, such as it is, is designed by Philip Whitcomb, and is used sparingly to great effect – a number of raised platforms with steps to each forming the backbone of the upstage area, with a number of props – a gas pump for the Barrow homestead, an armchair, a metal-framed bed – used to suggest specific locations throughout. The lack of larger props ensures that the piece moves at a wonderful pace, and transitions are seamless.
The backdrop – a bullet-riddled, blood-spattered red-and-white striped banner – hangs upstage, and works as a wonderful metaphor throughout; the death of the American Dream, a bloodied tale of celebrity that took 1930s America by storm, this backdrop is lit incredibly effectively throughout by Zoe Spurr’s design; at times lit blue, the colours fade in the red to become a monochromatic forest, and lit red the stage becomes awash with blood.
We are thrown straight into the action with a Young Bonnie and Young Clyde – Bea Ward and Albert Atack respectively – drawing the audience into their world. The child actors in these roles are magnificent, and hold the audience in the palm of their hands from their first notes. As we see the environments that these young children have grown up in, it is almost no surprise that they fall into a life of crime and as an audience, we are unquestionably sympathetic to their story. Seven minutes in though, and the real stars of the show turn up – as Clyde Barrow, Jeremy Jordan is irresistible, and having played the role on the Great White Way, he slips back into Barrow with ease. He is charming, dangerous and vulnerable, all at once. Opposite him, McCann’s Bonnie is naïve, fragile and sweet, with a hunger for celebrity that is ultimately her undoing. Their chemistry is simply incredible. Jordan’s performance remains the stand-out though and by the end of Act Two, he seems to have genuinely aged throughout the piece.
Trevor Dion Nicholas as the Preacher has very little stage time, and yet captivates in the role – his rich, smooth vocal performance is like a warm hug, and juxtaposed to the bleak message of the truth of Depression-era USA at the start of Act Two, his upbeat and hopeful tone is fantastic. There is a touch of the Revival Tent minister to him, dressed to the nines and gladly receiving donations as he sings of hope in the Lord. There are very few moments of real choreography but when the congregation join in during Nicholas’ numbers, the movement is tight and economic, but very effective all the same.
Whilst the story is a gritty and rather bleak tale, ultimately there are still many laughs to be had, particularly from Buck (George Maguire), Blanche – played by the ever-wonderful Natalie McQueen – and the other ladies in her salon, with a particular favourite being the number, ‘You’re Going Back To Jail’. The relationship of Buck and Blanche is beautifully-played – witty yet tender, and their final scenes together are incredibly potent. The ensemble is incredibly strong in this production, and the vocal harmonies are stunning. Another highlight is the rich and sumptuous vocal of Liam Tamne as Ted in his lament ‘You Can Do Better Than Him’, and when Jordan’s voice joins, the blend of their voices is magnificent. The orchestration is beautiful, and Wildhorne and Black’s score is led masterfully by Katy Richardson.
Act Two charts the couple’s murderous rise to fame and notoriety and as McCann moves from her red dress into the more sombre black, the pair are magnetic – there is a pivotal moment, beautifully-played, when the respective parents reject their murderous children (whilst Barrow’s father still accepts the blood money proffered, notably), which becomes the making of the duo. These are two souls who refuse to just make do with their lot but instead, will do whatever it takes to make their lives what they always dreamed of, knowing fully how it will end…in bloodshed. The scene when the two have finally become American heroes, as Bonnie is asked for her autograph, is wonderfully undermined by the murder of the bank teller, and it is this juxtaposition that so perfectly reinforces their story – in a world which will remember them, there must be no limit to what they are willing to do to succeed.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Scott Edwards
Bonnie & Clyde the Musical: Filmed Live is available to stream now here.