Miracle on 34th Street – Review

Bridge House Theatre, London


***

Directed by Guy Retallack

The Company

‘Tis the season for glad tidings, joy to all men and women, mince pies and mulled wine. And it is also the time for miracles.

Miracle on 34th Street at Penge’s premier off-West End venue is a delightful romp through a 1947 New York Christmas. Staying true to the film, it captures the heart that has turned this story into a cinematic Christmas classic.

The show tells of a Santa Claus who may or may not be the real deal, as part of a story that acts as one long commercial for Macy’s on 34th Street. Richard Albrecht as Kris Kringle does a fine job of convincing the audience of his authenticity, thawing the hearts of Doris Walker (the superb Lowenna Melrose) and her daughter Susan (Emily Carewe).

While a live musical play version of a film might be a challenging concept to understand, the reality is very straightforward. The audience becomes a live studio audience watching a live performance of the tale for a national radio audience, complete with humorous adverts tailored for the Penge locals, presented by broadcasting giant IBC. With reminders throughout that this is a 1940s era production, such as allusions to the domestic dynamics of that time, the adverts elicit more than a few chuckles.

Yet it feels there is a missed opportunity to up the ante. Instead of the adverts, there could have been real interactions between the actors waiting to deliver their next lines as Doris, Kris Kringle, Susan and more. We could perhaps have witnessed an additional testament to the magic of Christmas in ‘real life’ through the relationships between the cast as they perform.

Nevertheless, the musical element of this production is a very welcome departure from the film. Jon Lorenz’s creative arrangement of carols and popular Christmas ditties is a stroke of genius with the score adding pace aplenty and breaking up the dialogue wonderfully.

It’s a talented cast that’s able to snap between different characters, scenarios and songs. Lewis Rae and Amy Reitsma in particular do a phenomenal job portraying a plethora of individuals, from small children to professionals and more. Rae’s vocals are outstanding making his solo one of the most magical moments of the production.

Special mention also to Ellis Dackombe who plays Fred Gailey, the lawyer defending Kris’ reputation and a pivotal player in the conversion of the Walkers from non-believers to believers. He exudes an extraordinary energy that makes for a captivating performance, with stellar vocals to boot.

Jamie Ross as the very dry Announcer and Director of Music delivers a masterclass in multi-tasking, juggling narrator skills, piano playing, singing and delivering sound effects on cue.

Miracle on 34th Street is a sparkling, joyful and heartwarming spectacle. For a very merry Christmas, this is just the ticket.

Runs until 23rd December
Reviewed by Bhakti Gajjar
Photo credit: Nick Rutter

It's a Wonderful Life - A Radio Play - Review

Bridge House Theatre, London

*****

Written by Tony Palermo

Directed by Guy Retallack

The company of It's a Wonderful Life - A Radio Play

‘Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings’…

To take a much loved iconic movie and condense the magic of its story onto the immediate intimacy of the stage is one of the hardest dramatic challenges. Yet with the Bridge House Theatre's It's A Wonderful Life, writer Tony Palermo under Guy Retallack's assured direction achieves just that.

A latter day fable from the '40s, Palermo reduces the classic yarn to a radio play with a company of just six playing all the roles. In the small town of Bedford Falls, George Bailey is despairing of his life and about to end it all. Meanwhile in heaven angel Clarence, who has still not earned his celestial wings after 200 years of trying, is despatched to Earth on a mission to rescue George from his despondency. An emotional roller-coaster with both cast-members and audience in tears at times, without spoiling too much it's safe to say that there is an uplifting climax of redemption and the happiest of endings.

Opening the show Daniel Hill chats with the audience as himself and radio host as we wait for Radio IBC to go live ‘On Air’, before transforming into the story’s bad guy Mr Potter. Gerard McCarthy makes for a stupendous George, lifted convincingly from the depths of despair, whilst alongside him, Kenneth Jay's Clarence captures an almost cherubic desparation as he strives to make his mission a success. Sophie Scott is charming and commanding as George's wife Mary, whilst the wonderful and ever-versatile Gillian Kirkpatrick resplendent in red, is resourceful and imposing in a range of roles and accents. This is truly a special piece of theatre with Retallack lavishing an attention to detail, from sound effects and lighting to accents, props and musical underscore, all delivered by a company at the top of their game.

It is impossible not to be moved by this modern morality tale of decency triumphing over nastiness and the show's powerful message of how we all affects other people’s lives in ways we will never be aware of and cannot imagine. George Bailey represents everyman and woman and he touches us all for the better. It’s A Wonderful Life truly puts everyone young and old, in the Christmas spirit.

Runs until 4th January 2015

Guest reviewer Catherine Francoise