Peaky Blinders – The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby At Mayflower Theatre, Southampton Review

Reviewed by Warwick

An almost full house, some in Peaky Blinders costumes complete with flat caps and distinctive haircuts were treated to a feast for the senses last night at The Mayflower. Music, dance, lighting, set and costumes all combined to produce a magnificent production worthy of the standing ovation it obtained.

The television drama of Peaky Blinders, detailing the rise of a Birmingham gang of thugs, ran for six series and was hugely popular but it wasn’t immediately apparent how this could be translated to a dance show on stage. I needn’t have worried-everything combined to create the iconic atmosphere the series was famous for.
Written by the creator of the TV series, Steven Knight, this production does not try to recreate the original storyline but uses the same famous characters as a starting point to tell another story: a prequel that begins at the end of the First World War and details the love story between Tommy Shelby and Grace against the backdrop of the rise of the Peaky Blinders gang.

The show opens on the battlefields of France where Tommy and the gang are experiencing the full horrors of war and are participating in its worst atrocities. The voice of The Narrator, Benjamin Zephaniah, booms out ‘You young men of the Tunnelling brigade, you are all dead. Not counted among the dead bodies because your bodies were not buried with the dead. But dead inside….’ and this explains the subsequent ruthlessness of the gang members who have lost all sense of their humanity. The action then returns to Birmingham and through clever use of lighting, scenery and costumes seamlessly details the rise of the gang in various settings including at the races and in a night club. Act 1 culminates in the marriage of Tommy to Grace and her subsequent murder. Act 2 is a more sombre, reflective piece as Tommy sinks into despair at losing his wife and resorts to opium to relieve his suffering before making his final decision on whether to live or die.

Directed and choreographed by Rambert’s Artistic Director, Benoit Swan Pouffer, the contemporary dance is simply stunning. Rambert Dance are one of the world’s most renowned dance companies and are known for their cutting edge dance styles and for mixing traditional dance with other art forms and they do not disappoint. From the swagger and attitude of the fight scenes to the drug-induced hallucinations of Tommy, the dancing is of the highest standard and the choreography cleverly underpins the story line. All the dancers were excellent, but Guillaume Queau was particularly impressive as Tommy whilst Musa Motha’s dancing was mind-blowing.

The soundtrack is provided by a live band on stage and the ticket price would be worth paying simply to hear their accomplished playing. The music is VERY loud and composer Roman Gianarthur cleverly weaves well known songs into a powerful and atmospheric score including music from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Radiohead, Anna Calvi, The Last Shadow Puppets, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes and the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

In addition to the narration by Benjamin Zephaniah which helps explain the storyline, there are voice overs from some of the original TV cast including the late Helen McCrory who played matriarch Polly and Cillian Murphy the original Tommy.

The athletic dancing is complemented by Moi Tran’s sets and Richard Gellar’s costumes which together with impressive lighting perfectly create that ‘Peaky Blinders vibe’. It is not often that I would immediately want to see a show again, but this is one of them. So go and see it now-By order of the Peaky Blinders!

The Mayflower is an excellent venue and a deservedly popular theatre. It is the largest theatre on the South coast with over 2300 seats. There is a well- stocked bar and the facility to bring your drinks into the auditorium, plus a range of ice-creams and sweets which are often an essential ingredient for a theatre show. There is good parking and a good selection of restaurants within easy reach of the theatre making it the ideal place for an enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

Rating:5/5

Tickets cost from £12-£49.50.

Peaky Blinders-The Redemption of Thomas Shelby is at The Mayflower Theatre Southampton from February 7-11. (It then continues its UK tour to Northampton, Edinburgh, Salford, Cardiff, Plymouth and Birmingham).
For more information or to book tickets visit https://www.mayflower.org.uk/whats-on or call the box-office on 02380 711811

Address of theatre: 22-26 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1GE