Sirens of the Silver Screen continues at the Tabard Theatre, London until 14 July 2018.
Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
Sirens of the Silver Screen is interesting. I’m not sure I can top that with any other flattery.
Yes Beth Burrows has a liquid chocolate voice. Her talking voice is rather melodious and easy on the ears too, but… the production feels disjointed and is hard to sit comfortably with, unless Burrows is singing or the projector is rolling its glorious footage of the ‘Sirens’ (Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn) in their heyday.
The set is simple and yet very effective for the storyline, imagine narrative-musical drama, though I’m not sure it suits Burrows’ acting style which would do better in a large auditorium than in the intimate space of the Tabard Theatre.
Alex Maynard and Doug Grannell, pianist and cellist, coolly strum and tinkle their keys hauntingly as the ladies’ tragedies unfold.
Michele Cadei sets the lights low and moodily pinches them each time a new string of emotions is performed. Director Mark Giesser does a stellar job too with the fluidity between each story. It’s hard to get a interweaving of story threads but he achieves that well, although I would have liked more punch, more depth in the script.
I desperately wanted to love this production. These sirens are icons from a glittering past and a huge part of Hollywood’s history, but despite Burrows’ clear talent as a singer, and the smooth running of all else (acoustics, lighting and set) the show simply doesn’t gel well and I was left unconvinced by Burrows’ performance. I simply didn’t feel her for these figures.
Apart from when she plays Marilyn Monroe. It is then that the show comes alive, and arguably when Burrows comes into her own.
Her portrayal of Monroe seems to evoke parts of her vocal and acting ability that sadly haven’t been seen before. And the final piece, where she gives us a glimpse of Monroe’s confused end is deeply moving. A little bit of an airbrushing might serve this interesting piece well.
Laura-Jane Wareing
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