Review: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever at the Union Theatre

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever

Union Theatre

Reviewed on Saturday 7th September 2013

I always feel at ease when arriving at the Union Theatre because I know that I'm about to see a high quality piece of theatre. In this case, although I found the piece rather forgettable, I still find it hard to fault the production.

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever is about Daisy Gamble who, in a bid to quit smoking, seeks help from psychiatrist Dr Mark Bruckner. Over a number of sessions Dr Mark Bruckner soon discovers that Daisy isn't an ordinary woman... she knows when a phone is about to ring or when something bad is about to happen. Of course Dr Mark Bruckner and Daisy form a special bond along the way.

Although the piece is rather slow, it is all very easygoing. As I looked around, I don't think I've ever seen such a smiley audience of theatre goers - On A Clear Day You Can See Forever must be one of the nicest pieces of theatre ever written. While I too was smiling throughout, it wasn't enough. 

I struggled to truly relate to any of the characters and struggled to become lost in the story which is a shame as the cast and design are strong and effective. The company numbers are superb, the cast may be small but if you closed your eyes you would think a huge choir were performing in front of you. 

Vicki Lee Taylor is sensational as Daisy, although it was very strange seeing her play the role as just seven days earlier I saw her play Maggie in the final performance of A Chorus Line at the London Palladium. The best thing about the show is Daisy, who is a somewhat intriguing character. Vicki portrays her with a mixture of feistiness and vulnerability which works perfectly. Most importantly she leads the cast well and, is clearly a performer you should keep your eye on.

Burton Lane's score has moments of greatness but lacks that all important punch. Unfortunately, if you asked me to hum one of the melodies to you now I would not be able to. If you are looking for a nice, safe option then On A Clear Day You Can See Forever will provide you with a lovely evening at the theatre. I loved Kirk Jameson's production but was disappointed with the show.

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

andrew@westendframe.com

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever runs at the Union Theatre until Saturday 28th September 2013.

Please visit www.uniontheatre.biz for further information and tickets.

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