Animus, performed by the Musical Theatre Academy’s first-year students, continues at the Bridewell Theatre, London until 10 September.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
We’re in 18th century London. In a quasi revenge tragedy, heiress Charlotte Donne (Jenna Innes) seeks vengeance, but her judgement is not sound and she makes several (literally) fatal mistakes. It’s a colourful, atmospheric show with hints of The Beggar’s Opera and, from a different century, Les Misérables and Oliver! There are brothel scenes as theatrically thrilling as anything in Measure For Measure and more murders and bodies than in Hamlet. The plot is pretty complicated, but it’s so full of unexpected twists that somehow you sail along with it.
And Michael Webborn and Daniel Finn’s score is lovely. Scored for keys, violin, cello, double bass and percussion, it feels almost classical in places in a work which is more like opera than musical theatre. Webborn makes a lot of use of dramatic chords under Finn’s rapid – sometimes witty, WS Gilbert-esque (he rhymes “murder” with “heard ’er”) – half-spoken, half-sung dialogue. The music is very varied, though, and I loved talented Olivia Shepherd’s cheerful six eight number as the larger-than-life brothel madam, Fanny, before things become more serious and intense.
Animus is an ensemble piece – commissioned by The MTA for performance by its first year students – so there’s plenty for everyone to do. Supporting new writing is college policy, as is developing students to perform publicly only a few months after starting their training. And this impressive group – who sing Webborn’s imaginative harmonies like a full-blown choir – certainly comes up trumps.
Jenna Innes’ rich voice and convincing acting fully conveys the anger, determination and anguish of her character. And there’s a fine performance from strong actor Adam Ireson as Joe, a cockney thief with a conscience and a gift for comedy, who masquerades as a gentlemen and finds a happy ending.
Ashley Runeckles provides a very plausible moral voice as kindly tolerant Sister Edith and Sebastian Kainth makes good use of a pleasing singing voice as Harland Mandeville.
This is an impeccably directed show in which Christian Durham gets his young cast to find a lot of subtlety in some quite tricky roles and Helen Rymer’s choreography is masterly. The busy consternation scenes convey a real sense of anxiety as characters move in and out of elaborate formations and there’s a spectacularly horrifying rape scene.
Animus is one of the most enjoyable pieces of musical theatre I’ve seen for several weeks and a terrific achievement for students who are barely halfway through their training.
Susan Elkin
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