Sheridan Smith and Darius Campbell in Funny Girl. Picture: Marc Brenner
In less than a month Funny Girl fans will be able to relive this joyous show as a filmed version of the stage production will hit cinemas nationwide on 24 October 2018.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
There’s nothing like live theatre and it does feel quite distant sat in a small room looking at the show via the screen, especially as the show does play off the audience quite a bit, but it’s also quite amazing seeing the actors close up and being able to read their every expression.
The show is semi-biographical, based on the life of Fanny Brice, the Broadway star and comedienne. It initially opened in 1964 starring Barbra Streisand who then went on to reprise the role on the West End stage in 1966 and in the movie version (1968). The show returned to London in 2015 starting at the Menier Chocolate Factory and then heading to the Savoy Theatre before going on a UK tour.
It’s almost impossible to think that anyone could live up to the great Barbra Streisand but 50 years after the show’s London debut, the producers of the London production found someone who could give Streisand her a run for her money.
Sheridan Smith is phenomenal as Fanny Brice and nails every moment. Like Brice, Smith is a natural born performer who manages to captivate her audience before she even delivers her lines. Her comic timing is impeccable, each facial expression is enough to have you laughing out loud, with ‘You Are Woman, I Am Man’ being a particular highlight, yet she doesn’t fall short on the more emotional parts of the show either.
She quickly builds a connection with her audience that she plays off throughout the performance. She steals the show no matter what she does.
Darius Campbell plays a very charming Nick and Rachel Izen, Zoë Ann Bown and Myra Sands are charming and entertaining to watch as Mrs Brice and her poker playing friends. Joshua Lay is a sensational dancer and seeing more of him dancing on stage would have been wonderful too.
The story manages to be somewhat outdated and completely relevant at the same time. Fanny works had to get her career going but is willing to give it all up for a man she’s known for 10 months. She is the family’s primary breadwinner but gets criticised for this when her husband can’t deal with the fact that he has to rely on her. Nevertheless, the ending is incredibly powerful with a reprise of ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’ reminding Fanny and the audience that the show must go on.
Even if you prefer to be all up in the action of live theatre, it’s definitely worth going to see a screening of this production. The show is so upbeat and joyous with a wonderful cast and you do not want to miss Sheridan Smith and Fanny Brice either.
Tal Fox
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