Review: THE BOOK THIEF, Belgrade Theatre Coventry
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
Mark Zusak’s The Book Thief was a huge triumph in the early noughties. A young adult’s book, with ‘Death’ as the narrator, that flew off the shelves. The film, released in 2013, didn’t fare quite so well, despite starring the likes of Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson. Undeterred by this, the book has sold 17 million copies since its 2005 release so it makes perfect sense to bring it to the stage.
In the story, ‘Death’ retells his first meeting with a girl called Liesel. Liesel’s Mother is a suspected communist and her brother dies quite suddenly. It’s during his burial that Liesel steals her first book ‘The Gravedigger’s Handbook’. To prevent another infant death, Liesel’s Mother gives her up and she is then fostered by an older couple, Hans and Rosa. Soon, she finds herself living in Nazi Germany. Hans owes a favour to an old friend and agrees to hide a Jewish man, Max. Hans teaches Liesel to read and through Max’s stories, she learns the power of words and begins to write a story of her own.
This production begins with a simple suitcase on stage. A man walks through the audience and greets us, explaining that he is ‘Death’. He begins to tell us Liesel’s story through song. ‘Have a Heart’ is a powerful choral number that prepares the audience for what’s to come and inspires curiosity. Despite being set in Nazi Germany, the characters have UK regional accents, giving it a slightly familiar and Les Miserables feel. Throughout the musical, there are some truly beautiful harmonies and wonderfully raw acapella verses. There are some stand out numbers but the music, although pleasant, never quite takes off as a whole and doesn’t always feel necessary as the story is strong enough on its own.
The set is a real highlight of the production. A multifaceted frame that manages to represent Nazi Germany, Jesse Owens winning the Olympics and a boxing match with Hitler. Panels are used to shield parts of Liesel’s world and when pulled apart, we see the warmth of her family and friends. This is also represented through movement. Tom Jackson Greave’s choreography flourishes with this wonderful cast at the helm. The puppetry also cannot go without a mention, so beautiful and intricate.
The climax of The Book Thief is full of grief and joy but in this production, it can feel that too many emotional levers are being pulled all at once and far too quickly. That being said, it is a wonderful story, full of larger than life characters. It’s a brave choice to tell such an emotive tale through song and dance and it deserves to be seen.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Sophie Eaton
The Book Thief plays at Curve Leicester until 14 October, with further information here.