Is it a musical? Is it a curler derby? Is it a game-show? When the roller-skating phenomenon that’s “Starlight Express” opened in London in 1984 it was all of these and extra, as evidenced by its 18-year run. It lasted simply 22 months on Broadway however in a uniquely created theater in Bochum, Germany, it has simply entered its thirty seventh yr. May North London’s much-vaunted new model in a particularly rebuilt theater emulate that success? Hope springs everlasting, however given Luke Sheppard’s surprisingly strained and solely intermittently thrilling manufacturing, it’s going to want a large advertising and marketing spend.
Each iteration of the present has subtracted and added numbers to Lloyd Webber’s rating. That is smart for the reason that present was by no means conceived as critically thought-through musical drama however extra as a succession of songs to create a fun-fest occasion about trains racing in opposition to each other to enchantment to theater newcomers. This was event-theater earlier than anybody coined the time period.
Constructing on quite a few earlier iterations of the present, the key adjustments of this new manufacturing mirror welcome departures from eighties sexual politics. Within the unique, all of the trains had been male with females relegated to taking part in subsidiary coach characters. Right here, some genders have been switched. One of many main contenders for the prize for the quickest prepare, Greaseball, previously Elvis Presley-like, is now feminine and performed by Al Knott. Equally, the character of the central youngster’s father is now his mom (Jade Marvin.) And within the period of local weather consciousness, a brand new character, Hydra (Jaydon Vijn) – as in hydrogen – arrives to assist the hero on his approach.
Sheppard was a crafty selection as helmer since he labored wonders with “& Juliet”. Armed with the seemingly foolish idea of marrying a slew of Max Martin mega-hits with a Shakespeare sequel, he created a smash which, nonetheless operating on Broadway, was tons extra sensible enjoyable than anybody anticipated. However that present has an unexpectedly crafty ebook that holds the nothing-succeeds-like-excess staging collectively. “Starlight Express” has so little driving plot that it doesn’t also have a ebook author – though its originating choreographer Arlene Phillips is now credited as “inventive dramaturg.
What Sheppard offers is pizzazz. Sporting trackers that synch with the lighting, sound and video, the ever-exhilarated skaters zip winningly from set designer Tim Hatley’s round central house up ramps, round, amid and thru the auditorium. Troublingly although, the auditorium format is such that it’s tough to work out who’s main the races. Data is flashed up on video screens atop the performing house and on both facet of the auditorium, however they’re oddly small and don’t command consideration and watching them means viewers focus is commonly cut up. On the appreciable plus facet, the command of the eye-widening tech meshing sound, visuals and motion is dazzling.
The busiest folks on a reasonably frantic present are arguably lighting designer Howard Hudson and his crew who illuminate the motion with every thing from super-saturated neon-style traces and chase results to isolating laser shapes and intense washes of turquoise and purple. Crucially, the lighting additionally ignites and punctuates every thing, a formidable feat on condition that the motion on this boisterous however jeopardy-free model wants assist.
The manufacturing’s main change is that whereas initially the racing trains had been commanded into motion by an unseen booming voice-over, now, the pre-teen younger boy, Management (Christian Buttaci on the efficiency reviewed) whose dream the present is, now runs issues. This makes narrative sense however his high-pitched yelling is extra endearing than propulsive. And it couldn’t be extra ironic that in a present wholly about rivals fiercely racing to win, the lacking components are momentum and stress. There are particular person thrills, however nothing accumulates.
A part of that’s as a result of the characters are wafer-thin. The daredevil dedication of the quadruple-threat performers – singing, performing, dancing and skating – is certainly admirable however you start to lengthy for extra, nicely, persona. Tall, arch Electra, the electrical prepare, guarantees so as to add very welcome camp into the proceedings however Tim Pigram is stymied as a result of though his unexpectedly pointy inflatable costume (by Gabriella Slade) will get laughs, his dialogue falls in need of the queeny promise. Eve Humphrey’s perky eating automobile Dinah is delightfully exact, however the manufacturing’s rush to get to the subsequent race militates in opposition to stronger work from just about everybody.
Musically, the brand new songs add little. A blues quantity for Momma is character-appropriate however, just like the rating’s weaker moments, sadly generic.
The highpoint is the last word singing of the oft-repeated, beautiful and hauntingly hopeful title music. Abruptly, every thing calms down as Rusty (Jeevan Braich, in his skilled debut) sings sweetly into the darkness. Sound designer Gareth Owen provides Laura Bangay’s top-flight band evocative, echoey reverb and the entire design crew fly in particular person glowing stars in opposition to a ceiling stuffed with shimmering pin-pricks of sunshine. It’s restrained and magical.
However is a second of tender stillness the very best advert for a present that must be all about pulse-quickening pleasure?
