Evita at the Mayflower Theatre Southampton Review
Evita
Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
17-21 January 2017
Reviewed by Angela Paull
Last night I was lucky enough to attend the opening night of Evita at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton. The Mayflower is a fabulously welcoming theatre with a bright foyer, bars, snack bar and restaurant to cater for every possible need. It is in the city centre and surrounded by ample car parking (I use Grosvenor Place as it has a flat fee of £2 after 6pm).
The production opens with the announcement of the death of Eva Peron and the outpouring of public grief. Is she deserving of such adulation though? Enter Che and the first of many familiar songs “Oh What a Circus” which leads us back to Eva’s impoverished childhood and her naked ambition to make her way to the “Big Apple” of Buenos Aires.
Full credit should be given to Gian Marco who plays Che as he is on stage pretty much throughout the entire production, being the lynchpin that takes us seamlessly between the different phases of Evita’s life/loves and career. He displayed the perfect mix of disdain, swagger and social commentary.
We follow Eva to Buenos Aires where she carves out a career as an actress/radio presenter. Her ambition is clear and she happily seems to use men as stepping stones as illustrated with the fun “Goodnight and Thank You” where a succession of lovers are shown the door.
When she meets Colonel Peron though there is a speedy recognition on both sides that they would make a formidable match. Peron’s current mistress is swiftly shown the door via a touching and haunting rendition of “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” by the pitch perfect Sarah O’Connor.
Peron wins the presidency and this leads to the most iconic moment of the show, the balcony scene where Eva sings “Don’t Cry for me Argentina”. It’s fair to say that Emma Hatton’s performance throughout the production was flawless but at this point she literally shone. You could have heard a pin drop the audience was so enthralled.
Throughout the second act Eva continues as the champion of the poor whilst still being shunned by the upper classes. There are a series of wonderful dance routines veering from the relaxed style of the poor to the clipped and precise movements from the military and upper classes. Fabulously choreographed they depicted perfectly the vast differences between the lovers and haters of Evita.
It rapidly becomes clear though that Eva’s health is in terminal decline and we all too quickly see her in a hospital bed and witness the most perfectly pitched and emotional scene. “You Must Love Me” is a real tearjerker and Kevin Stephen-Jones gave a superlative portrayal of a man about to lose his love.
A sign of an impressive production is when you hear audible sobs from the audience followed by a swift and emphatic standing ovation.
I highly recommend Evita and shall probably be singing the soundtrack for days to come.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £19.50 to £44.50 (booking fees may apply).
Evita is at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton until 21 January 2017. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 02380 711811.
Mayflower Theatre, Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1GE | 02380 711811
