Henrietta – National Youth Music Theatre

Picture: Konrad Bartelski

Henrietta, presented by National Youth Music Theatre, continues at The MCT at Alleyn’s, London until 21 August 2021.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Commissioned from Alex Parker and Katie Lam by NYMT for last year but, perforce, postponed until now Henrietta is a good piece for a youth organisation.

NYMT works with young people from age 10-23 which means there are children to play the juvenile roles along with competent performers in their early twenties able to play adults in their thirties and beyond with conviction.

It’s Amsterdam in 1944. Some Jews are in hiding, some people are trying to help them while others – we’re in the heart of the community with people who’ve known each other all their lives – agree with occupying Nazi policy or seem to.

And at the centre of all this meaty tale is a sparky child (role shared between Charlie Herlihy and Ellie Jones across different performances) who wants to be a hero and whose origins suddenly turn out to be not quite what she has been brought up to believe.

Reuben Browne plays an older teacher – he has taught Henrietta’s mother. He’s a bravura singer, especially in the lilting 3|4  number in which he tells Henrietta about his own son which then morphs (tempo and key change) into an impassioned lament and declaration of pride.

Izzy Mackie is strong as teacher Miss Van de Berg who hides behind a stereotype in Act I before revealing herself (eventually reaching a fabulous full belt) as something quite different in Act II.

Sydney Richards is moving as Rachel who leaves Amsterdam (and a lot more besides) with her husband to live elsewhere in safety

Plenty of warmth and a lot of drama, then. The storytelling, however, is disjointedly unclear at the beginning before the piece gradually slides into focus. Skilfully directed by Kate Golledge, the talents of everyone in this accomplished young cast of 32 are exploited.

And I really love Lucinda Lawrence’s choreography which takes every opportunity to present children as children – dancing and playing gleefully despite the horrors going on around them. Set changes are neatly choreographed in too so the whole thing is seamless.

And – icing on the cake – the live youth band, tucked away out of sight, produce great richness and sounds very professional. I was delighted to see them all brought on stage at the end for their own curtain call.

Susan Elkin