I Can't Sing
London Palladium
Reviewed on Thursday 27th March 2014
As a self-diagnosed X Factor addict and lover of Harry Hill's TV Burp who likes nothing more than to have a good laugh at the theatre, I was hugely excited about X Factor musical I Can't Sing. On paper Harry Hill (book & additional lyrics), Steve Brown (music & lyrics) and Sean Foley (director) sound like a dream team, particularly with Simon Cowell producing, but something about the show doesn't quite work.
The opening twenty minutes are a little overwhelming and lacking in structure. Instead of making the audience wait for what they want and building up any sort of anticipation, I Can't Sing throws everything at the audience at once – including the introduction of child Simon, adult Simon, presenter Liam O'Deary and a whole host of X Factor wannabes popping up all over the Palladium during 'It Could Be Me'. I loved the number, it's one of the best moments in the show, but perhaps the introduction of the central character - X Factor auditionee Chenice – is of higher importance. Opening the show with Chenice could solve one of the musical's biggest problems, the fact that there are too many characters fighting for the all-important relationship with the audience. Nobody wins the fight and, as a result, I felt very disconnected throughout.
The storyline, about life behind-the-scenes on The X Factor, is very thin and lacks any sort of heart. Musical comedy The Book of Mormon (which took the West End by storm when it opened last year) is such an incredible show because if you took away its outrageous, hysterically funny comedy it would still be a strong piece of theatre. It is written with such heart, features an addictive soundtrack as well as all the other necessary ingredients of a hit musical. However, if you took away the comedy from I Can't Sing there would be absolutely nothing left. It is simply gag after gag after gag after gag. Interestingly the audience began very responsive, roaring with laughter throughout the first act, but as the show progressed into the second half the audience became quieter, those around me were certainly laughing less. The show doesn't get worse, if anything the second act is funnier with the introduction of the judges, but as the story lacks ups and downs, build up and releases of tension or any sort of interesting character development, the novelty of the comedy wears off.
The score has some really strong moments. While I doubt many will play the yet-to-be released cast album on repeat, a few songs are undeniably catchy including 'Please Simon', 'X Factor Fever' and 'Uncomplicated Love'. Others are forgettable, irrelevant and lack excitability. The most frustrating number is 'A Song I Wrote For You' which is the song Chenice's love interest, Max, performs towards the end of the show against Simon's advice, to showcase his own music. It's a nice number but a missed opportunity for a 'goosebumps moment'. In true Harry Hill style I Can't Sing is nothing short of random and bizarre, perhaps giving us an insight into what goes on inside his brain.
For some reason I was expecting I Can't Sing to be an impressive sight, but Es Devlin's design is actually pretty basic, particularly during the first act. I'm not a fan of the human cut outs which are positioned in rows while the contestants are waiting to audition. It looks OK at first but there's only so long you can look at human heads (real people actually had their photos taken to be used in the show) flashing in time with the music before it becomes a little tacky. Throughout the scene in question, seven or eight ensemble members stand in a line waiting to audition. The staging is lazy and looks very empty, lacking in atmosphere. The design improves for the second act as the contestants' and judges' dressing rooms neatly glide around the stage. While this looks smooth it is far from being a grand spectacle.
The strongest element of I Can't Sing is the casting - the entire company are utterly terrific, including the magnificent ensemble who play a wide variety of characters. Nigel Harman is underused as Simon Cowell, but plays the role well. He can't seem to escape from fake legs humour, but pulls off the gags superbly. One of the strongest performances comes from Simon Bailey (Liam O'Deary) who has clearly been studying Dermot O'Leary's every quirk and trait to aid his phenomenal characterisation. It's a shame Liam isn't given a big number as Bailey has the most incredible vocal talents! Personally I found Victoria Elliott's performance as Jordy (a Cheryl Cole inspired character) the funniest. I didn't roar loudly with laughter until Elliott's first big scene in the second act, her number 'Falling In Love With Myself' was the highlight of the evening. Luke Baker also really tickled me as The Wind.
"Countless stars and legends have graced the Palladium’s stage, few of whom are half as talented as Cynthia Erivo"
The star of the show is the sensationally talented Cynthia Erivo who plays Chenice. I have reviewed Erivo in various things over the past year and have finally run out of synonyms to describe her very special talent. Erivo always fully commits to a role and playing Chenice allows her to show a whole new side of her acting ability. If I had to listen to one person perform one song on repeat for the rest of time it would most likely be Erivo singing I Can't Sing's title number. Nothing compares to hearing her voice live, filling the Palladium as it was built to be filled. Countless stars and legends have graced the Palladium’s stage, few of whom are half as talented as Cynthia Erivo. There are so many roles I would love to see her take on (she could probably play Elphaba in her sleep), but I sincerely hope writers continue to create new parts for the gifted actress to sink her teeth into.
Many have made comments about I Can't Sing bringing variety home to the Palladium. This is a fair point, and perhaps if the show was further developed and of higher quality I would agree. Just when I didn't think my mouth could open any wider, my jaw hit the ground with a loud thud as the show’s conclusion unfolded before my eyes. I don't want to spoil anything, but I have never seen so much money wasted on such a pointless piece of set!
I find it so frustrating that in the UK we struggle with the concept of out of town try-outs which is the norm on Broadway. Some of Broadway's biggest shows (including Wicked and Kinky Boots) had out of town try-outs before opening on Broadway to allow the creative team time to discover how audiences respond to the show and what needs to be re-written and further developed way before Broadway critics can get a glimpse of the show. I Can't Sing is bursting with potential – it could be brilliant - but something is missing. Many hail the West End as the theatre capital of the world and there is a certain expectation when it comes to the standard of West End theatre, yet and more and more shows like I Can't Sing are opening in the West End before they are ready. Mistakes are being made which out of town try-outs could easily rectify. Yes an out of town try-out is expensive, but in the long run it could certainly serve as an investment.
I Can't Sing is not a show which should be avoided. It's hard to pinpoint exactly who it appeals to as I would have thought a younger, X Factor loving theatregoer like myself would prefer the show to some of the older newspaper critics; but as several of the older critics have written five star reviews and I didn’t love the show, this obviously isn't the case! It's not (yet) perfect, but I Can’t Sing is certainly worth seeing! When The Book of Mormon opened last year tickets were like gold dust and I was telling everyone to do anything they could to get a ticket; however, while I Can't Sing is good fun I certainly wouldn't recommend paying £87.50 for premium seats. If any deals pop up or some complimentary tickets land on your lap I recommend you take the opportunity and make your mind up for yourself!
I Can't Sing has some great moments and features one of the strongest casts in the West End. Despite being based on the biggest programme on TV, it's good to see a show with an original story and new music open in London. It would have been easy for the creative team to slot in lots of past X Factor hits into a show and stunt cast the leading roles. I must admit I feel bad for not loving the production, particularly as I was looking forward to it so greatly, but I am confident that with some work I Can't Sing could be a fantastic show. I have no doubt that I Can't Sing will have a successful West End run, particularly with The X Factor's return to ITV later this year.
I love shows like I Can’t Sing which get everybody talking and spark debate in theatreland. Everybody certainly seems to have an opinion about the show which can only be a good thing.
I Can't Sing is currently booking at the London Palladium until Saturday 25th October 2014.
Click here to book tickets.
Related
Interview with Cynthia Erivo
Interview with Scott Garnham
5* review of The Color Purple
5* review of Simon Bailey's album Looking Up
Photo Credit: Tristram Kenton
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