Review: TREASON THE MUSICAL, Festival Theatre Edinburgh - Tour
Photo credit: Danny Kaan
Treason is surely one of the most anticipated new musicals in British theatre at the moment. Originally a concept album, then a streamed concert, then a live concert accompanied by a cast recording, the musical embarks on its premiere UK tour, opening in Edinburgh with its first fully staged performances.
Treason tells the story of the Gunpowder Plot, but perhaps not from the angle you’d expect. Guy Fawkes here is an omnipresent narrator, rarely interacting with the action and instead talking to the audience from beyond the veil. We focus instead on Thomas and Martha Percy, their relationship and Thomas’s descent into darkness as he gets involved with the plotters, led by Robert Catesby.
It's interesting to frame the story we all think we know in a different way, but unfortunately the pacing is slightly off and Charli Eglinton and Kieran Lynn’s book is sometimes confusing. The first act is spent introducing characters and setting up the anti-Catholic sentiment at the time, so the actual plot itself only gets introduced at the very end of the act. You’d perhaps expect Act 2 to then be very focused on the plot, but in actual fact, we see very little of it – it’s almost glossed over and it feels like the audience is expected to have a high level of knowledge about the plot, with information that seems crucial, basically missed out. We actually had to go and do some research after the show to understand what went on towards the end, as it just wasn’t explained clearly.
Ricky Allan’s folk-inspired score has some wonderful moments, and there are some genuinely excellent songs which we think will become firm favourites among musical theatre fans and performers alike, but much of the score feels a little too repetitive. There are lots of ballads and slower numbers, and the pace of the show would have benefited from a bit more variety with some uptempo numbers. The score has changed a fair bit since the Drury Lane concert last year, with several new numbers and other numbers having been cut.
Despite the negatives of the storytelling, there is much to enjoy in this production, namely the incredible cast that has been assembled. There truly is not a weak link in the company, from the small ensemble performing Taylor Walker’s stylised choreography in perfect synchronicity, to the principals who give absolutely stellar performances. Gabriel Akamo is an imposing figure as Fawkes, commanding the stage as he delivers his quasi-raps with power and authority. Joe McFadden and Oscar Conlon-Morrey are a phenomenal double act as King James and Robert Cecil respectively – McFadden captures both a boyish charm and later an incessant paranoia as the King, while Conlon-Morrey is deeply sinister and delivers one of the best musical moments with his song in Act 1, ‘A United Kingdom’. Sam Ferriday’s Thomas Percy is a tormented man, with a lack of direction and purpose in his life, and his vocals are simply exquisite – he soars through his numbers with ease, creating some of the best musical moments of the show. The absolute standout, however, is Nicole Raquel Dennis as Martha Percy. In their hands, Martha is equally tragic and strong, and their performance of ‘The Inevitable’ is simply jaw-dropping. Dennis is an exceptional vocalist, and is given ample moments to shine throughout the piece.
All in all, this is certainly an enjoyable production, with much to commend the cast and creative team on. Hannah Chissick’s direction is often effective, with a clever contemporary lens placed over the historical story, and the combination of Jason Taylor’s candle-like lighting and Philip Witcomb’s stark set and simple neutral costumes creating an immersive world for us to join the characters in. There are some truly excellent moments in this, and we do believe that with a few more tweaks, this could be something really very special. In its current form, there is the spark of a great show, and we hope to see that spark become a flame very soon.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Lorna Murray
Treason the Musical plays at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh until this evening (28 October) before visiting Sheffield and London, with further information here.