A Chorus Line At New Theatre Cardiff Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Lisa Warren
Jam packed with dance moves, an extravaganza of leaps, jumps, twirls and high kicks all in perfect unison, except when they are not supposed to be that is, as well this is a show about try outs to be in a musical. A story of the gruelling process of dance routine after dance routine mixed with a closer look into some of the characters who really need the job!
There is no lead, no main star, which some find strange, but I loved the range of talent shared amongst the cast. I was constantly scanning the whole stage to see interactions whilst one or a few of the cast were singing. It was fantastic to see everyone keep going for almost 2 hours with no interval! Everyone kept the magic going the entire way through and boy can some of them kick high. I have to mention Toby Seddon as the geeky weirdo Bobby Mills, boy his kicks are SENSATIONAL!
Stand out performances go to Jocasta Almgill as Diana, when she sang “Nothing” it was powerful and vulnerable at the same time and when she sang “What I did for Love”… wow! Shivers! I also got goose pimples when the trio sang “At the Ballet”, Bebe (Lydia Bannister); Sheila ( Amy Thornton), and Maggie ( Katie Parr) were sublime together. I really believed in each of their history and pain.
You can’t mention emotion without talking about Manuel Pacific monologue as Paul San Marco. A soft spoken moment in between the big vocals is so tough to pull off. But he had the whole auditorium under a spell.
Cassie’s (Carly Mercedes Dyer) solo dance was beautiful, stunning choreography with a different tempo from the rest of the routines, she certainly is the stage and mirrors well and commanded the stage. Unfortunately, for me, the history and relationship between her and Zach (Adam Cooper) wasn’t as pivotal as in the film, I couldn’t tell if this was on purpose or a lack of character chemistry. This was also sadly true in the scene between Zach and Paul, after Paul’s heartfelt monologue there was great use of silence, but then the embrace between the two lacked emotion. Sometimes it was a challenge to understand the lyrics when certain performers spoke or sang, and I was a little sad that “Surprise” wasn’t in the show but you can’t have everything.
This is actually one of my favourite musicals and I was delighted from the moment it started until the very end, there was the right amount of light and shade, the clever use of the mirrors at the back of the stage, and the on stage videography shown on a screen above was a perfect homage to the film adaptation I remember watching over and over again as a kid. A few theatre goers have said this is a distraction but I really enjoyed the addition of it, especially as you got glimpses of the audience and the accompanying band in their pit. It made them feel more part of the show than usually being hidden away, this can also be said for the backstage crew who got to actually be part of the show at times. I have to say the music was outstanding the whole way through.
I was toe-tapping and singing along (in my head!) to the songs, feeling every emotion the characters were going through. It was full of laughter, strong vocals, amazing dancing and some tough subjects thrown in for balance. I was thoroughly entertained as were other members of the audience, who I overheard regaling of certain cast members and routines. The sensational ending full of sparkles, pyrotechnics and glimmering gold, had people on their feet, everyone left the theatre smiling in deep discussions and there was a hum of happiness in the air.
Rating: 4/5
“ A Chorus Line” Tue 17 – Sat 21 Sep 2024 7.30pm, 2.30pm
BSL interpreted : Wed 18 Sep 2024 at 7.30pm
Audio Description : Sat 21 Sep 2024 at 2.30pm
New Theatre, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3LN
https://trafalgartickets.com/new-theatre-cardiff/en-GB/event/musical/a-chorus-line-tickets
Ticket Information £20 – £54
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