Julie: The Musical continues at theSpace @ Niddry Street, Edinburgh.
Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
This is a bawdy, gauche, broad-stroke, cartoon-like telling of the story of Julie D’Aubigny, a 17th century “opera singer, swordswoman and flaming bisexual”.
Julie, played by writer/composer Abey Bradbury, is joined by four actor-musicians who, with the addition of panniers, jackets or hats, become all the characters in Julie’s chaotic life. It’s a gaudy romp that flies through the details of her escapades and relationships, peppered by a score of quasi rock songs.
It has a punk feel. The use of old cabled mics on stands that pick up every breath, pop and movement keep this musical grungy and “as rough as a dog’s arse”. There are tender moments too though. A sweet scene between Julie and her final lover Marie, gives us a moment to breathe.
The songs are simple, to the point of simplistic. They’re mostly based around three or four chords and have repetitive almost non-melodies. Bradbury pre-recorded the piano track herself, but should perhaps have employed the services of someone more adept at the keyboard to give the accompaniments more body and drive, but the one-person orchestra that is Sophie Coward keeps the musical landscape evolving.
With lively and energetic performances all round, and some of the cutest bejewelled velvet boots in Edinburgh, Julie is a treat for fans of this type of rough and raw theatre.
Steven Wren
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