Closer Than Ever
Jermyn Street Theatre
Reviewed on Thursday 8th May 2014
It seems some people have seen Richard Maltby, Jr and David Shire's musical Closer Than Ever time and time again. Twenty-five years after its off-Broadway premiere a brand new, revised version is now receiving its European premiere at London's Jermyn Street Theatre. To make the production even more exciting, Tony Award winning Maltby has directed it himself!
Closer Than Ever is very close to the hearts of many. The ensemble piece is made up of various musical numbers which tell self-contained stories about the ups and downs of love, life and various other issues, including parenting, growing up and loving again. The tremendous cast live every word and feel every emotion as if they can personally relate to every moment.
Graham Bickley, Sophie-Louise Dann, Arvid Larsen and Issy Van Randwyck must be one of the finest ensembles to ever grace a London stage. Together they provide a two hour and fifteen minute master class in musical theatre. Drama school students across the capital should fight for a ticket to see four of our most talented musical theatre performers at the height of their game. I sat in awe of their talent.
The score is cleverly written; the first act is particularly unpredictable and keeps the audience on their toes - dipping from one extreme to another. The piece is often fun and cheerful, but there is also pain and heartbreak behind the cheesy grins.
Closer Than Ever momentarily lost its sparkle midway through the second act, suddenly it was lacking in excitement. However, as the show came to an end Dann provided my personal highlight with an exquisite rendition of 'It's Never That Easy' (which leads into 'I've Been Here Before'). Not only does she have the most incredible vocal tone and control, but Dann's ability to build a relationship with an audience and to tell a story through song is simply spellbinding.
The Jermyn Street Theatre makes the perfect home for this quirky piece of theatre; regulars will know that there is never a dull moment at the Jermyn Street Theatre! Sadly the auditorium became uncomfortably hot during the performance, which could perhaps be blamed for the second act dip.
Sometimes it's nice to see something a little more fun, light-hearted and simple. Closer Than Ever is truthful yet fun… and most importantly performed with pizzazz!
Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
Closer Than Ever runs at the Jermyn Street Theatre until Saturday 7th June 2014.
Photo Credit: Francis Loney
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