Review: BROKEN WINGS, Charing Cross Theatre
Photo credit: Danny Kaan
This new musical begins in New York City, it’s the early 1920’s. Gibran tells a story of 20 years earlier when he arrived in Beirut. He meets Selma, it’s love at first sight and they embark on an ill-fated relationship. The 40-year-old Gibran (Nadim Naaman, also the writer and co-composer) takes us back in time, looking on at his younger self, Selma and the supporting characters as his narration punctuates a mesmerising score and poetic dialogue.
The set is as captivating as the story-telling. Performed in the round, the direction of Bronagh Lagan brings to life the intimacy between young Gibran and Selma (Noah Sinigaglia) in Act I. We are immersed in the Middle East by the colour and patterns on set and flower installation hovering over the stage. The stage revolves, contributing to the flow of the narrative, drawing us in from all angles and symbolising that we are on a journey with the characters, as do the suitcases perched on edge of the stage that stay put in every scene.
It's easy to see why the couple are enchanted with each other. He speaks eloquently and she is smart, wise and beautiful. Sinigaglia performs with such sincerity that we fall in love with her. The duets between the lovers in the first half are alluring. Singaglia’s voice has a sweet quality fitting Selma’s youth, which she effortlessly changes for the big emotional moments, showing off the strength and power of her vocals. Her diction is flawless.
The love story frames the exploration of immigration, identity, adolescence, what “home” is and not having the freedom to marry who you love, especially as a woman. The end of the first half is a culmination of what we knew from the outset, Selma and Gibran cannot marry. One of the many powerful lyrics penned by Naaman and his co-creator Dana Al Fardan that she is “queen to slave” describes Selma’s fate, in the context of her forthcoming marriage to a man of her father’s choosing as she is pushed from treasured daughter to serving wife.
The lighting shines! Used to evoke the mood of a scene or character, the colours change and switch between spotlights and full illumination of the stage and the flowers. In Act II, we hear more full company numbers and wisdom from Mother (Soophia Faroughi). The magnificent ‘Spirit of the Earth’ starts with Mother in the spotlight. The music builds as she is joined by the cast, the dimmer spot grows to a bright orange glow and they are basking in the sunlight as they harmoniously deliver ‘Spirit of the Sun’. So luminous, it feels like it is radiating heat, conjuring up the warmth of the Beirut climate.
Inspired by The Broken Wings, a novel by Khalil Gibran first published over 100 years ago, the creators clearly recognise that the poetry of the novel is ideal to adapt into a musical. Music is always playing softly while the cast are speaking. When a number is interrupted by dialogue, the characters speak lyrically over the music and then seamlessly wander back into song.
Sinigaglia stands out but doesn’t overshadow the superb supporting cast, all capable of imparting poetical melodies, harmoniously and with magnitude. Naaman’s old Gibran is as beguiling as young Gibran (Lucca Chadwick-Patel) is charming.
It’s refreshing that our backdrop is the Middle East, representing a largely unrepresented culture in UK theatres (especially musicals). The heritage of the writer and composers (Lebanese-British, actor, singer and writer Naaman and Dana Al Fardan, a Qatari composer, songwriter and symphonic artist) bring authenticity to the story-telling and we have definitely not seen anything quite like this before. Let’s hope it’s the start of something. Before last night if you’d said Broken Wings to me, the lyrics of the 80s rock ballad by Mr. Mister (“take these broken wings”) would have been stuck, on loop, in my head! Thankfully that will now be replaced by Selma’s beautiful voice, that lingers long after leaving the theatre. Don’t miss travelling with Gibran as he imparts wisdom found through the experience of his youth - it’s epic.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Vic Willetts
Broken Wings plays at the Charing Cross Theatre until 26 March, with tickets available here.