Review: Quasimodo at the King's Head Theatre

Quasimodo

King's Head Theatre

Reviewed on Friday 22nd March 2013 (Press Night)

Upon entry to the King's Head Theatre I was not surprised to see that once again the performance space has been completely transformed. Then, as I took my seat, it suddenly dawned on me that I was about to watch the world premiere of Lionel Bart's last great musical Quasimodo. However, as the musical was written fifty years ago I could not help but wonder why a production hadn't been staged sooner and I feared the show could be at risk of feeling a little dated.

As the show began I soon realised that I had nothing to worry about. The show beholds the magic of those big, classic musicals but with a quirky design and a fearless cast I forgot I was watching a piece of theatre that was written so long ago. Set in 15th-century Paris, the show follows the love between Quasimodo, the deformed bellringer and Esmeralda, a beautiful gypsy girl.

Quasimodo seems to be a challenging role but Steven Webb does not hold back one bit. His portrayal is suitably complex. Quasimodo makes quite an entrance, both Steven Webb's characterisation and make up are striking. I almost felt as if I shouldn't look at Quasimodo but I couldn't help but stare. While Steven Webb's characterisation is impressive, when he sings he does so in a completely different style. When I closed my eyes it sounded as if two different actors were playing Quasimodo - one during scenes and another during musical numbers. It was a little strange at first and took me a while to get used to. Please do not misinterpret this, Steven sings the score well and has a wonderful tone to his voice, after all he did play the title role in Oliver at the London Palladium in 1999!

Zoe George almost steals the show as Esmeralda. Her vocal talents are out of this world. At times her voice sounds delicate and pure and others it sounds rich and incredibly powerful, although she was occasionally guilty of over acting.

As expected Lionel Bart's score is sometimes delightful, sometimes dark, but always enchanting. The score features many charming melodies although occasionally I felt the lyrics could be a little more insightful. Too often they stated the obvious, I wanted them to open up about the character's inner thoughts and feelings.

I was very impressed with the pace of Quasimodo. Too often I find myself complaining in reviews about shows dragging on. Even some of the best productions I've seen recently, including A Chorus Line at the Palladium and Chess at the Union, contain a few scenes which could easily be cut down. But Quasimodo has a speedy running time (the programme states act one is 50 minutes and act two is 55 minutes). The mood constantly changes and takes you on a roller coaster of emotions, leaving no time for you to become restless or lose interest.

As Quasimodo is based on Victor Hugo's 1831 novel Notre Dame de Paris, it is no surprise that there are similarities between the show and Les Miserables (which is also based on a Victor Hugo novel). However, the beauty of Les Miserables is that while it tells a tale full of despair and sadness, it concludes leaving audiences feeling inspired and uplifted. Quasimodo is quite the opposite, ending on a sombre note which left me feeling a little depressed. Although there are a few scenes of happiness during the first act, my personal highlight was Quasimodo and Esmeralda's duet Abracadabra.

There seems to be a very special buzz around this production at the King's Head Theatre. While there is room for improvement I would still urge you to see this show for yourself.

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
andrew@westendframe.com

Quasimodo runs at the King's Head Theatre until Saturday 13th April 2013.

Please visit www.kingsheadtheatre.com for further information and to book tickets.

Photo Credit: Francis Loney

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