Sleeping Arrangements
Landor Theatre
Reviewed on Monday 22nd April 2013 (Press Night)
Sleeping Arrangements marks the first Sophie Kinsella book to be adapted into a musical, but as I discovered you do not need to be familiar with the book to enjoy this lighthearted, sunny show. The story is simple(ish), following two families who go on holiday to discover they have been double booked by a mutual friend. This results in the two families having to share the three bedroom villa for a week, but not all is as it seems...
Sleeping Arrangements brings some much needed sun to London and because the Landor Theatre is extremely hot I felt as if I was actually in Spain with the cast. David Shields' set design is extremely effective, each time I walk into the Landor I am always amazed to see the theatre completely transformed.
The show takes a while to get going, as it is an ensemble piece time is taken to introduce each character and their storyline. At first it feels slightly ridiculous as there is just so much going on but as the musical progresses it settles down and I grew to love the crazy storyline.
The cast also took time to really get into the show, but once they did there was no holding them back. Sleeping Arrangements is very relatable and identifiable so for it to be believable the cast have to give realistic performances which is harder than it seems, especially in an intimate theatre like the Landor where there is nowhere to hide.
Jenny Gayner gives a stand out performance as Chloe, she is given more to work with and portrays each step of Chloe's journey honestly. I also particularly enjoyed the storyline between Jenna (played by Sabrina Aloueche) and Sam (played by Adam Pettigrew). Sam is a teenager who develops a crush on Jenna who is the other family's childminder. Adam and Sabrina have good chemistry and work together to provide many comical moments. Sabrina also teases the audience with her strong vocal talents, I would love to have heard more from her. A mention must also go to Liza Pulman whose portrayal of Amanda (an exhausted mother to six month old twins), is completely outrageous.
Chris Burgess' score has a nice, relaxing, bluesy feel which compliments the show nicely. I felt that there were a few too many ballads and I would have loved more company numbers as when the cast did sing together I was blown away. The music tells the story beautifully, almost every song is there for a reason which helps to move the story along. I particularly enjoyed the song performed by Grant Neal and Steven Serlin in the second act about why they bother with women. They performed the song to perfection and had the audience howling with laughter. There are not enough male duets in musical theatre!
If you want to see a hard-hitting, insightful, political piece of theatre do not go and see Sleeping Arrangements. However, if you want to see a fun piece of theatre performed to an incredibly high standard you must see Sleeping Arrangements. While it would make the perfect girls night out I think it is also a good choice for families and couples. There are characters of all ages meaning anyone can relate to someone.
The most exciting thing about Sleeping Arrangements is that it has so much potential, as the run progresses it can only get stronger, funnier and crazier. I am already planning a return trip...
The most exciting thing about Sleeping Arrangements is that it has so much potential, as the run progresses it can only get stronger, funnier and crazier. I am already planning a return trip...
Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
Sleeping Arrangements runs at the Landor Theatre until 12th May 2013.
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I saw Sabrina in We Will Rock You and loved her performance, so will be singing this show next week
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