Picture: Scott Rylander
Grand Hotel is performed by London School of Musical Theatre students at the Bridewell Theatre, London.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
You could transport this exceptional LSMT student production of Grand Hotel a mile up the road to any West End theatre, charge three times as much for a ticket, and anybody lucky enough to get in would still have a bargain.
It is THAT jaw-droppingly good. From every angle – singing, dancing, acting, directing, set, outfits, choreography, musicianship – it is an absolute marvel of a show.
Grand Hotel is based on a 1929 Vicki Baum novel and was first an Oscar-winning movie starring Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford.
As a musical that wasn’t doing too well in the try-outs until Maury Yeston was brought in to supply new songs and rewrite much of Robert Wright and George Forrest’s score, it eventually reached Broadway in 1989. London saw it three years later and there was a West End revival in 2004. It is hard to believe it was any more enjoyable than this.
It helps having a top-class musical to work with but from the moment a superbly-drilled cast launch into ‘The Grand Parade’ and the doctor/narrator, disfigured in the First World War, introduces us to the opulent, uber-expensive Grand in late 1920s Berlin, with its bustling staff and fascinatingly flawed guests, we are totally involved.
As the doctor (cynically played by Donal Brennan) says: “Grand Hotel, Berlin. Always the same – people come, people go – one life ends while another begins – one heart breaks while another beats faster – one man goes to jail while another goes to Paris – always the same.”
Let’s see, we’ve got a past-her-prime Russian ballerina, a mortally-ill bookkeeper who wants to spend his final days in luxury, a handsome but broke baron, a doctor with an eye-patch, a leader of industry whose firm is about to go bust, and a typist who dreams of being a Hollywood star and is prepared to use her charms to get there.
Course producer Adrian Jeckells and director Graham Hubbard have teased some remarkable performances from these students who arrive usually arts college-trained and sign up for LSMT’s one-year course to fine-tune their musical skills, singing in particular.
There’s not the hint of a weak link anywhere. Brad Barnley is impressive with his fine voice and acting skills as the dashing but dissolute baron, Freddie King brilliantly transforms himself into a stooping, pain-racked Jewish bookkeeper, and Hamburg-trained Felicitas Bauer’s accent and poise never waver as the famous ballerina whose name no longer sells tickets.
They are three with very bright futures – and Bauer dances beautifully as well. So do the hotel entertainment team The Jimmys, played with high-kicking panache by Tyler Ephraim and Benjamin Terry. When they are joined by the equally athletic typist Flaemmchen (ex-Italia Conti student Hannah Lowther), their routine is simply electric.
Lowther is real triple threat talent, stealing almost every scene she’s in. She drops sleazy, axed-by-the-board Hermann (Joshua Crossley, excellent) who was taking her to Boston as his bit on the side and goes off to Paris with her new friend, the dying Otto (and suddenly rich Otto thanks to a share tip from the baron).
Lowther sings delightfully as do Eleanor Lakin as the ballerina’s secretary-companion Raffaella and Ross Harmon as receptionist Erik who is on tenterhooks awaiting news that he’s become a dad.
Amy Watts’ period set is a work of art and she dresses everyone perfectly in period. Cristian Valle’s choreography is frenetic and thrilling. Neil Macdonald directs a band of seven. My guest thought they were a little loud and drowned some words but I can’t agree. If there is a weakness with Grand Hotel, it would be that it lacks a killer song.
Everything about this show is quality, right down to the very smart programme. Bravo!
Of their 42 students, LSMT employed 21 apiece in their casts for Lend Me A Tenor and Grand Hotel. They have already had one gushing five-star review a couple of weeks ago from colleague Susan Elkin for Lend Me A Tenor. Here’s another. I never wanted it to end.
Jeremy Chapman
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