Review: THE BAKER’S WIFE, Menier Chocolate Factory
Photo credit: Tristram Kenton
Lucie Jones is definitely in her Stephen Schwartz era right now. Fresh from blowing audiences away with her riff-tastic Elphaba in Wicked and providing plenty of laughs as Catherine in the Pippin concert earlier this year, she has now taken on the more nuanced role of the baker’s wife in… The Baker’s Wife.
Based on the 1938 film of the same name, this charming and, in many ways, heart-warming piece of musical theatre is one of composer Schwartz’s lesser-known works. With a history dating back to the 1970s, the project seemed sure to be an out-of-town flop in the US but esteemed director Trevor Nunn was able to knead it into shape across the pond decades later.
Nunn’s influence on the show still resonates today in this latest revival at the Menier, directed this time by Gordon Greenberg. One of the biggest challenges Schwartz and book-writer Joseph Stein faced was how to make this chamber piece reach beyond the wife’s narrative and to push the villagers to the forefront. That achievement is vivid here.
Jones marvels as Genevieve, wife of Aimable, a baker who has just arrived in a small village in Provence. The song ‘Meadowlark’ has arguably outgrown the show itself (Nunn cited its popularity in auditions as the reason he was attracted to the original London project), but Jones makes it her own. In fact, her soaring vocals and forthright character portrayal almost give the song new meaning, providing a genuinely show-stopping moment.
She is performing opposite Clive Rowe, seen most recently as bumbling cop Steady Eddie in Sister Act. Of course, he is able to turn on the comedy as is required but he is also capable of stunning the audience into a hushed silence, catching them off-guard in some of Aimable’s more exposed and tender moments. The relationship between the baker and his wife undoubtedly calls for chemistry and Jones and Rowe have found it it in abundance.
This production has a stacked cast. From Josefina Gabrielle’s pondersome Denise, to Joaquin Pedro Valdes giving a second show-stopping moment with his exquisite rendition of ‘Proud Lady’, it is absolutely an ensemble piece. The scenes with all the villagers, such as opening number ‘If It Wasn’t For You’, are real highlights.
But, of course, that was the magic Schwartz had been looking for all those years ago when he embarked on this project. Genevieve’s journey of love, lust and marital conflict really is the heartbeat of the show that allows the ensemble to breathe so wonderfully. Paul Farnsworth’s set incorporates all of the Menier’s limited space and the audience would be forgiven for thinking they actually were enjoying a glass of red in a French village square. There are even moments of immersive theatre as audience members are invited to dance and take part in pentaque.
Jones is a force in this leading role. The opportunity to see her perform up close and personal is surely a treat for any musical theatre enthusiast. Although Stein’s book is sometimes a little lacking in depth (the morals of various characters and resolution of their stories are enough to raise an eyebrow), the atmosphere and aesthetic of the show more than makes up for any shortcomings.
It’s a good year for Schwartz, with the Pippin concert being so well-received and the first of the two Wicked films due for release this winter. The Baker’s Wife may not be the flashiest or grandest of the composer’s current projects but it will possibly be most appreciated by those who are lucky enough to see it at the Menier.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Tom Ambrose
The Baker’s Wife plays at the Menier Chocolate Factory until 14 September, with further information here.
