Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, Dave Malloy’s chaotic, kaleidoscopic sung-through Tolstoy adaptation, was nominated for 12 Tony Awards in 2017 and it’s easy to see why. This juicy slice of Russian literature, unashamedly melodramatic, is spun out, blown up and delivered deftly to an unsuspecting audience in a pacy, poignant and unique two-and-a-bit hours that feels, despite the source material’s age, like something new for musical theatre.

Great Comet is based on a 70-page chunk of War & Peace and follows the naive and beautiful Natasha Rostova through her breakneck rise and fall in Moscow high society. It’s a story about love, lust, youth and how one may choose to spend or squander it. The ensemble cast of bold characters introduce themselves and their primary trait early on, bring the audience up to speed, and immediately drop them into the story: “This is all in your programme. You are at the opera.” Once it gets going, the pace is fizzing, focused and encourages the audience to keep up.

Originally staged for Broadway by Rachel Chavkin, Tim Sheader strips back the velvet and gold gilding for a more black box approach in the musical’s UK debut. The blocking, combined with Ellen Kane’s choreography and intricate musical arrangement from Sam Young, works to transform the stage from a dizzyingly overstuffed nightclub to a teenager’s lonely bedroom without the need for set. A special nod must also go to Howard Hudson’s lighting design, which feels somehow rustic and flamboyant at the same time.

The overall aesthetics leave something unsatisfied, however, and some of the score’s richness is under-served by the modernisation. The contemporary costumes in particular feel an odd choice for a musical so steeped in the wealth and splendor of 19th Century royal Russia. It would have been nice to see some more overt nods to the original setting in the styling.

The cast is dazzling in all directions. Chumisa Dornford-May is a pitch-perfect ingénue, complemented by fruity f*ckboy Jamie Muscato as Anatole and Maimuna Memon’s soulful, stirring Sonya. Declan Bennett’s Pierre grows from doleful, dejected drunk to the emotional linchpin of the whole story, and by the end has several audience members in tears. The ensemble whirs and flexes together like glittering clockwork, and the high-energy numbers rattle the stalls and ratchet up the energy seemingly effortlessly. You get the sense the cast is having fun, and it is infectious.

This musical - part-folk, part-rock, part-EDM, part-direct quotes from the novel - will not be for everyone. The uninitiated may not follow every detail, but should definitely go along for the ride anyway. It’s a sharp, sad and hopeful story told with an energy and flair that makes it truly unique amongst its contemporaries. Tim Sheader’s edgy production will no doubt bring a whole new flock of fans to this lesser known gem of a show.

Sparky, seductive and something truly special.

***** Four stars

Reviewed by: Oli Burgin

Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 plays at the Donmar Warehouse until 8 Feb 2025, with further info here.