Good Night, Oscar - Review

Barbican Theatre, London

*****

Written by Doug Wright

Directed by Lisa Peterson

Sean Hayes

Sean Hayes of Will & Grace fame is Oscar Levant in Doug Wright’s scorching new play, Good Night, Oscar. Usually, one might raise an eyebrow at ‘yet another’ American star flown in to tread the boards in London. Hayes however breaks the mould and at the Barbican Theatre, delivers a platinum-plated performance.

A gifted pianist and friend and contemporary of George Gershwin, Levant was to be acclaimed for his interpretation of the composer’s works. Not only that, but he was also endowed with the sharpest of wits becoming a master of brilliantly sharp and often cruel one-liners. He was also a deeply damaged depressive, with Doug Wright’s play boldly focusing on one fictional evening in 1958 when, while on a four-hour pass from the psychiatric wing of LA’s Mount Sinai Hospital, Levant was to make a guest appearance on NBC's Tonight show hosted by Jack Paar. It is a stroke of bold genius that’s up there with Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd-Webber writing a musical about the relatively unknown (in the UK at least) Eva Peron, that sees Wright having fashioned a blazing work of art in his script about the equally unknown Oscar Levant.

Wright’s writing is inspired - but it is Sean Hayes who lifts Good Night, Oscar into the pantheon of great modern plays. Hayes won the Tony in 2023 for his creation of the role on Broadway and his acting is sublime. As Levant battles his demons and propped up by countless medications, Hayes’s performance is unlikely to be matched on a London stage this year, capturing his character's rapier-like wit and musical gift, alongside the heartbreaking portrayal of his mental decline.

To only add to Hayes's excellence is his virtuoso piano-playing that sees him perform scinitllating extracts of Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue, live on stage. This is a level of craftsmanship rarely witnessed ever, if at all, and to be present in the auditorium as Hayes plays Oscar Levant, is quite simply one of the greatest privileges an audience member is ever likely to experience. 

The supporting roles may be eclipsed by Levant, but the acting craft on display throughout the company is equally classy. Another American import, Ben Rappaport plays Paar in a role that he too originated on Broadway a couple of years ago. Rosalie Craig similarly shines as Levant’s wife June, capturing pathos and resilience in her flawless delivery. Every character on stage is a perfectly fashioned gem with notable work from Richard Katz as studio head Bob Sarnoff and David Burnett as the embodiment of George Gershwin.

Lisa Peterson’s direction is a masterclass of textual understanding, matched only by Rachel Hauck’s stunning set designs that seamlessly segue from NBC’s offices, to Levant’s dressing room and ultimately the Tonight show’s TV studio, complete with grand piano.

World class drama that is likely to be the best play performed in London this year, Good Night, Oscar is unmissable.

Runs until 21st September

Photo credit: Johan Persson

Hadestown - Review

Lyric Theatre, London

****

Music, lyrics & book by Anaïs Mitchell

Developed with & directed by Rachel Chavkin

The company of Hadestown

Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown is drawn from one of the strongest tragic storylines around: Orpheus’ love for Eurydice that draws him into the Underworld in his quest to rescue her from Hades’ grasp and return her to the mortal world. It’s a banger of a yarn and credit to Mitchell and Rachel Chavkin whose cracking songs and outstanding cast have breathed a bold life into this ambitious vision. The UK first encountered the show in its 2018 premier at the National Theatre. Now in the West End it’s a glorious fusion of a raft of musical styles, sung perfectly.

Dónal Finn and Grace Hodgett Young are the two doomed lovers. Both are magnificent with Finn possessing a gorgeously fragile tone that makes his number Wait For Me sparkle. Amidst the grown-up roles, Zachary James’ Hades offers a bass baritone the like of which is rarely heard in musical theatre. His is a towering performance of vulnerable cruelty. Gloria Onitiri is Persephone, wonderfully reprising the part from her time at the National, while in a sensational turn as (basically, narrator) Hermes, Melanie La Barrie cleverly weaves the tale’s threads together. Sung through, the show is an impressive performance from Tarek Merchant’s 7-piece onstage band. Rachel Hauck’s set design is ingenious - think Hell fused with New Orleans - brilliantly lit by Bradley King.

The show’s frustration lies in its crass shoehorning of a modern political agenda onto the Greek classics, with the narrative not being enhanced by the childishly oversimplistic That’s Why We Build The Wall that closes the first act.

But there is excellence on stage here and for what is (mostly) a bold piece of new writing, Hadestown is worth seeing.

Booking until 22nd December

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

Hadestown - Review

National Theatre, London


****


Music, lyrics and book by Anaïs Mitchell
Directed by Rachel Chavkin

Patrick Page

Running at the National Theatre prior to a Broadway opening, Hadestown offers a uniquely folksy and enchanting take on the tragic tale of Orpheus and his love, Euridice. For a potentially grim narrative, the musical is a joy thanks to the transformation of Anaïs Mitchell’s surprising and layered concept album into one of the most refreshing and riotous shows in London.

Rachel Chavkin directs the fascinating tale of human weakness and hope. The story goes that Persephone, wife of Hades lord of the underworld visits the earth bringing with her the seasons of Spring and Summer (and joy and booze). As Hades' jealousy grows, so Persephone’s visits become less frequent, unleashing hunger upon the world’s population including Euridice. An impoverished Orpheus promises Euridice the world, and it is against this backdrop that the musical plays out.

The range of voices that Chavkin has assembled is phenomenal. Reeve Carney’s Orpheus hits notes that would make Freddie Mercury proud while Patrick Page’s Hades occupies yje lower end of the register, bringing a growling, booming bass resonance to Mitchell’s score, the two men proving a perfect juxtaposition to each other. Eva Noblezada’s Euridice’s sweet and perfect Disney-esque voice almost doesn’t match the show's cool although, and again in contrast, Amber Gray offers a gloriously brassy, sassy Persophene. Winged narrator and journey maker Hermes is played by the inimitable André De Shields adding an easy, laidback “how it is” attitude to this sometimes overly fanciful show.

The production is a 101 lesson in modern musical theatre done well. Rachel Hauck’s glorious set twists, turns and expands, segueing intimate scenes into lavish numbers as Bradley King’s lighting transforms the stage, stunningly transforming a New Orleans jazz bar into an infernal labyrinth. 

Hadestown sees the capital graced with yet another sensational piece of new writing. A big, beautiful show with a soundtrack that you’ll want to listen to all the way home.

Runs until 26th January 2019

Reviewed by Heather Deacon

Photo credit: Helen Maybanks