A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, performed by London School of Musical Theatre students at the Bridewell Theatre, London.
Star rating: four stars ★★★★☆
Sondheim is notoriously tricky, farce is notoriously tricky. So put them together and the resultant musical in the wrong hands can be an accident waiting to happen.
At the very least, it’s a massive challenge, but under Samuel Wood’s inspired direction and the vigour, energy and sheer talent of the London School of Musical Theatre triple-threat troubadours, this Funny Thing is a treat.
I haven’t heard an audience laugh so much since I fell out of my seat at the hysterical Noises Off many moons ago. In 1962 this was Stephen Sondheim’s first stab at writing both music and lyrics for a Broadway show.
The farces of Roman playwright Plautus are the inspiration for Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart’s racy book which formed the basis of this naughty-but-nice musical.
Carry On comic Frankie Howerd’s leering innuendo is still remembered from Forum’s West End bow in 1963 and again in 1986 but Pseudolus becomes a female in the shape of redhead Casey Bird for this LSMT revival.
From the moment ‘Comedy Tonight’, surely the best opening number to any musical, strikes up with Hero’s slave Pseudolus introducing each player, Bird has the audience in the palm of her hand.
She does a terrific job and has a great sense of wicked fun as does everyone else in a great team effort. Nothing less than perfect timing will do for farce and these thespians play off the same hymn sheet, the temptation to go too OTT is avoided thanks to Wood’s slick direction.
The show uses 19 LSMT students and the strength in depth of this production is very apparent. There isn’t a weak link.
Chris Cahill is particularly good as the campy head slave Hysterium. He makes the most of the witty ‘I’m Calm’.
Not far behind is Tyler Sargent as love-struck Hero. Sargent’s ‘Lovely’ duet with Emma Martin’s Philia is a joy and Martin’s ‘That’ll Show Him’ is nicely achieved.
Lewis Matthews is hilarious as Hero’s randy dad Senex, Katie Brace has a strong presence as Lycus who runs a house of ill repute next door, and Rachel Slattery reveals a glorious voice as Senex’s bossy wife Domina with ‘That Dirty Old Man’.
And every time she circles the set searching for lost children and told if she walks seven times round the seven hills of Rome she may find them, little Rachel Roland, complete with pebble glasses as the short-sighted Erronius, gets a laugh.
In truth, the score is not Sondheim’s best and is handicapped by the most hummable ‘Comedy Tonight’ coming first. The rest have a lot to live up and generally fail to manage it.
The other number which has worked its way into cabaret repertoire is ‘Everybody Ought to Have a Maid’, not these days very PC but superbly choreographed by LSMT head of dance Mark Hedges and riotously performed by Bird, Cahill, Matthews and Brace.
The story works around Pseudolus’ quest for freedom but there are many other storylines in this tale of confusion, switched identities, bawdiness and general chaos.
To get free, he/she has to persuade the beautiful but dim Philia to marry Hero but the virgin has been sold to dashing army captain Miles Gloriosus who returns from battle to claim her – Shane Barragan delivers ‘Bring Me My Bride’ powerfully.
Leah Sams’ outstanding set, musical director Neil MacDonald’s zingy band of seven, a most attractive ensemble and a smart, informative programme add lustre to a highly polished evening.
The other 21 members of LSMT’s Class of 2018 – there are only 40 on this one-year course – will be strutting their stuff next week in the rarely-performed Lionel Bart musical Lock Up Your Daughters (30 April to 4 May). Forum has given it a hard act to follow.
Jeremy Chapman
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