Evita at the New Wimbledon Theatre Review

Evita
New Wimbledon Theatre

21-25 February 2017

www.atgtickets.com/new-wimbledon-theatre

Reviewed by Sabrina Fancy

The true story of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron forms the storyline of the brilliant musical Evita.

This lavish production featuring the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and the lyrics of Tim Rice is entirely sung – not spoken with an incredible musical score.

The musical is very fast moving and close to the actual life of Eve Duarte. She evolves from humble origins from a brunette teen to stunning goddess Evita with a platinum blonde hair, beautiful gowns and sparkling diamond jewellery. Argentina’s first lady is worshipped by thousands of people. The similarities to the original Evita was impressive.

The costumes added colour and authenticity to the production with many enviable pieces reminiscent of what Eva Peron would wear, in particular the white sparkling dress.

The cast of Evita is exceptionally strong. There are incredible scenes and the entire cast – not just the lead – delivers exceptional vocals!

Evita features a range of musical styles in Andrew Lloyd Webber Style and some Latin rhythms found in Argentine music.

Evita (Eva Peron) is played by the amazingly talented Emma Hatton who recently played Elphaba in Wicked. She truly has star quality and one of the most beautiful voices I have heard. She is radiant and commands everyone’s attention.

Gian Marco Schiaretti plays the handsome narrator Che. Schiaretti recently played the lead role of Tarzan in Disney’s musical Tarzan in Stuttgart. His rich, deep, stirring baritone vocals were a listening pleasure!

Juan Peron played by Kevin Stephen-Jones with over 25 years of performing experience, gave a strong vocal performance.

One of my favourite scenes was when Juan Peron’s mistress, is removed by Evita. Sarah O’Connor sings “Another Suitcase in Another Hall,” which beautifully showcases the young woman’s vulnerability.

The Haunting ‘You must love me’ sung by Emma Hatton when Evita was dying brought tears to my eyes. You may remember this son as covered by Madonna.

There was also a touching scene where young children sang acapella as part of a choir and sounded ethereal.

I was utterly engrossed in the production and it was the best musical I have seen in years. For this reason, I give it a 5/5 – a must see!

The New Wimbledon Theatre is easily located less than a 5 minute walk from Wimbledon overground/underground station with good parking and close to local restaurants. The theatre itself is beautiful and quite big. The piano bar is a stunning place to grab a drink during the intermission or before the show and the staff are lovely and helpful. The ticket prices for the shows are significantly lower than the west end.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost from £17.90 to £51.90 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).

Evita is at the new Wimbledon Theatre until 25 February 2017. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 7646.

New Wimbledon Theatre, The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1QG | 0844 871 7646