Sarah Scowen and Sean Needham in Gunmetal Blues at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch
Gunmetal Blues continues at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch until 20 September.
This Queen’s Theatre staging, directed by Bob Carlton, marks the European premiere of Gunmetal Blues and is the first production in the winter season for the venue’s resident acting company, cut to the chase…
Sean Needham returns from last season at the Queen’s, after appearing in Godspell, The Great Gatsby and Two and Two Make Sex. This time he’s using his talents in singing and acting to portray the down-on-his-luck private eye Sam Galahad and throughout he narrates the show in the style that is synonymous with film noir. But it isn’t until Act II that Needham shows off his real vocal prowess in a heart-wrenching tribute to his lost love.
The blonde, Laura Vesper, played by Sarah Scowen, goes missing at the beginning of the show, but she is never far away as Sam is hot on her heels. During the evening, Scowen is kept busy as she also creates the characters of Carol Indigo and the mysterious Princess.
Simon Jessop appears in several roles, including a hilarious imitation of ‘The Godfather’, while also playing the drums throughout.
Greg Last is Buddy Toupee, the piano player with an overly sunny disposition, but this temperament slowly disappears as the mask peels away. Although the character of Buddy is sometimes annoying, these moments are often followed by laughter, and his japes become more enjoyable as the night progresses.
Gunmetal Blues is a musical (book by Scott Wentworth, music and lyrics by Craig Bohmler and Marion Adler), so it is ironic that it is the singing that sometimes distracts from the storyline and underlying comedy. The pace is slow to start but improves as the show gets into its stride and ultimately has the audience on the edge of their seats. The only hiccup lies with the actors playing a number of different characters – a normal occurrence, but on this occasion it leads to the conclusion being slightly confusing.
The acting, staging and effects are to the high standard that we have come to love from the Queen’s Theatre and this new and different show is a welcome addition to the programme.
Andy Wilkin
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