The Sound of Music at The Lowry Manchester Review
The Sound of Music
The Lowry, Manchester
14 December 2015 to 2 January 2016
Reviewed by Melanie Allen
I’ve been brought up on The Sound of Music, I am a huge fan. My parents went to watch it at the cinema in 1965 as childhood sweethearts so it must be in my blood. Ironically, my mum was 16 going on 17 and my dad was 17 going on 18 – cue the song. I recall the lyrics better than Richard Rodgers. I know the storyline like I watched it yesterday. How excited was I when I heard the stage show was coming to The Lowry?
Parking at The Lowry proved a little difficult today due to the popularity of this musical. However once inside the outlet village, me and my theatre buddy, my 8 year old son proceeded straight to Costa to get a hot chocolate and a coffee but more importantly, to get our car park ticket validated (if you spend over £5 you get up to 4 hours of parking for free) . This saved us time at the end as there is no need to queue for the machines. As we eagerly sat in the stalls, I noticed that the audience was a mixed bag, from young children to pensioners which proves how appealing this musical is to all ages.
This famous musical is set in Austria during the Second World War. It is about Maria (Lucy O’Byrne), a loveable wayward nun who loves to sing. The Mother Superior of the convent (Jan Hartley) sends her to be a governess for 7 children who have recently lost their mother and whose Captain father (Grey O’Brien) is strict and unemotional. She teaches them how to sing and in the process, she falls in love with him. Due to her faith, she feels she should only love God, so returns to the Abbey, only to be told to follow her heart.
Although Maria was played magnificently and so Julie Andrewseque, my most favourite character was Mother Abbess whose voice was so incredible, it brought tears to my eyes. I have never heard anything so powerful and spine tingling in my theatre going life. Whilst Captain Von Trapp’s character was played very well, I found his singing voice to be somewhat weak and lacking in substance. When he sang ‘Edelweiss’ he didn’t quite hit all the high notes. However The Von Trapp children were adorable, and extremely like the film in their mannerisms and their appearance.
This version of the musical is slightly different to the one I have seen before in London. The songs are in a different order (Maria sings ‘My Favourite Things’ with the nuns before she appointed governess and then in the thunder scene, she sings ‘The Lonely Goatherd’) which as an avid fan, I noticed immediately. There were two songs in it I had never heard before (not in the film) but this didn’t detract from the storyline. It was quite comical in places too (when the nuns open Maria’s wedding case). The sets were outstanding, changing from inside Nonnberg Abbey to inside the Von Trapp Household in a flash.
The closing shot of them escaping Austria for Switzerland was spectacular, I could feel the hairs stand up on my arms. Whilst I loved 99% of the show, the scene I disliked was where Baroness Schraeder called off the engagement. I found this scene quite incredulous as 2 minutes later, Captain Von Trapp was declaring his undying love for Maria! Their relationship was never fully explored on the stage, which I feel was a missed opportunity. Nevertheless, I would award this show 5/5 for its originality, humour and talented cast. The standing ovation was worth a thousand 5* reviews as people voted with their hands and feet. Go and see it now before you regret it.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £12 to £100 (includes £2 booking fee).
The Sound of Music is at The Lowry in Manchester until 2 January 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0843 208 6000.
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, Manchester, M50 3AZ | 0843 208 6000
