Carnival of the Animals
Riverside Studios
Reviewed on Thursday 11th July 2013
Reviewed on Thursday 11th July 2013
Carnival of the Animals is a new musical which is currently running at Riverside Studios for just fourteen performances. With an impressive cast, including ex-Eastenders actress Anita Dobson as well as many experienced West End performers, I was certainly interested to see the show, although I did not have a clue what to expect.
The musical is very bizarre. Set in a quiet square in modern day Paris (where The Carnival of the Animals is still being performed) the animals who star in the The Carnival of the Animals (it's a musical within a musical) have lost enthusiasm and the show is falling into chaos.
Anita Dobson begins the show by introducing the story. Her characterisation of fashion designer, Mademoiselle Parfait, is spot on. Her over the top portrayal provides many comical moments which had the audience roaring with laugher. She bounced off the audience brilliantly and lead the cast well. Anita's Strictly Come Dancing experience also came in handy as she danced full out during the final dazzling musical number!
Another strong performance comes from rising theatre star Liam Doyle who plays Shake (a Chimpanzee). Not only does Liam impress with his smooth, effortless vocal tone but he also stands out during the musical numbers for his slick and precise execution of Richard Jones' choreography. Liam can next be seen starring as Fiyero in the UK Tour of Wicked and clearly has an exciting career ahead of him.
Stand out performances also come from Bronté Barbé as Odette (a Cygnet) who has the most stunning voice, Cassandra Compton who is hilarious as Carmen (an Ass) and Claire Machin whose portrayal of Emilie (an Elephant) cannot be faulted.
The first act of Carnival of the Animals is considerably weaker than the second, but could easily be improved. Far too long is taken to introduce the characters and establish relationships, at one point I wondered if there was actually going to be any sort of storyline. Some of the melodies are a little unadventurous and don't go anywhere.
As the show progresses the storyline takes an unexpected twist which I found very funny and, although the show features a few too many ballads, the score greatly improves. I left Riverside Studios humming a few of the tunes. In places I was a little unsure about who the show is aimed at. A few jokes are overly patronising and I felt like I was watching a children's show. However, I also found some of the comedy moments very funny and suited to a slightly more mature audience. The musical needs to find a clear direction and stick with it.
Considering the show is only on for a week, both the set and costumes are good. However, some of the puppets are not so effective. I was rarely drawn to the puppets and found myself watching the performers instead. With effective puppets Carnival of the Animals could be a truly magical experience.
With further development Carnival of the Animals could be a very successful piece of theatre as there is absolutely nothing else like it. If you want to see something completely different, performed by a strong cast, Carnival of the Animals is the show for you.
Carnival of the Animals may be a little strange and random, but is is funny, colourful and left me in a very good mood... I secretly loved it! I am intrigued to see what the future holds for this fun-filled musical.
Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins
Carnival of the Animals runs at Riverside Studios until 14th July 2013
Please visit www.riversidestudios.co.uk for further information and tickets.
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