Polly (The Heartbreak Opera) – Pleasance Theatre

Picture: Chelsey Cliff

Polly (The Heartbreak Opera) was reviewed at the Pleasance Theatre, London where it runs until 11 May 2024, and then tours until 16 May.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

‘The stage, Sir, hath the Privilege of the pulpit to attack vice,’ Polly An Opera, John Gay, 1729. If there was ever a time to revive and update Polly, Gay’s banned rip-roaring sequel to The Beggar’s Opera, it is now. Its themes of race and misogyny serve as a powerful reminder of the ongoing societal issues in 2024.

Many characters are familiar from Weill and Brecht’s Threepenny Opera. In the original story, Macheath/Mack the Knife is transported to the West Indies, where he escapes and becomes a pirate. Polly, his wife, follows him with the aim of rescue. Marie Hamilton and Sharp Teeth Theatre’s updated version follows the original plot but with a delicious feminist twist at the end in which Jenny Diver and Polly join forces. When all seems to be lost, Lucy Locket, having swum the Atlantic, saves the day by shooting Macheath in the heart. At times, the humour is sharp and topical, but it is also too often ironically ‘schoolboy’ in tone.

This versatile cast embodies multiple and varied characters with exceptional skill. Madeline Shann, as The Poet, is the heart of the show. Her storytelling is captivating, and she has an unsettling ability to break the fourth wall and engage the audience directly. Her cat-like style, mellow voice and fluid movement bring a unique energy to the stage. Genevieve Sabherwal’s dewy-eyed Polly is a moving portrayal of shattered innocence. Sedona Rose plays Mayor Ducat as a hilarious Boris Johnson parody in Union Jack Speedos and a floppy blond wig, and she is a hard-as-nails cockney as Jenny Diver. Co-writer and heavily pregnant Hamilton excels in all her roles; as Macheath, she bravely uses her bare belly as his beer gut to comic effect, and she has a sexy 1970s vibe set off by a soft Scottish accent as Mrs Ducat.

Popular songs from artists such as Britney Spears and Nina Simone inspire Ben Osborn’s score for this updated version, Polly (The Heartbreak Opera). There is something for everyone, from haunting a cappella numbers to energetic hop-hop from pirate boy band, Blazin’ Squid, and a big ballad worthy of Eurovision. It’s a shame that there is no live band, but some digs at the audience to vote for funding for the arts may have something to do with this. Award-winning director Stephanie Kempson’s staging uses the whole theatre, and at times voices come from the gallery. The lighting and sound effects in the police helicopter raid and the final battle give a strong sense of urgency and drama.

The shadow of modern slavery and misogyny looms large, and just in case the audience isn’t aware, it is laid on thick with Brechtian style. This is a funny show full of excellent singing that will make you think and tap your toes while you do so. And beware – the women of Sharp Teeth Theatre are coming for all of you.

Effie Gray