Pippin – Southwark Playhouse

Picture: Pamela Raith Photography

Pippin continues at Southwark Playhouse, London until 24 March 2018.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

There has never been much of a love affair between London and Pippin. The original production which opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in October 1973 was a dismal flop, despite the showstopping rendition of ‘No Time At All’ by Elisabeth Welch.

And the brief Menier Chocolate Factory revival in 2011, which turned Pippin himself into a geek, was one of the venue’s less successful productions.

Of course, the highly successful Tony-winning Broadway revival in 2013, enhancing the circus metaphor thanks to the brilliant collaboration with Les 7 Doigts de la Main, gave us hope for the show to get a second chance in the West End. However, that has never happened, and the only European city blessed with a visit from that extraordinary production was Amsterdam.

The transfer to Southwark Playhouse of the Manchester production which opened to rave reviews last summer confirms the reputation of the Hope Mill Theatre as one of the most promising regional venues around. It also gives a London audience the rare opportunity to enjoy this very rich, but too rarely done, show in a less spectacular but nonetheless very innovative production.

Stephen Schwartz’s versatile score, amazingly written while he was still in his twenties and right after his other first effort, Godspell (arguably his best before Wicked), is well served here by a splendid cast, despite a somewhat over-amplified eight-piece band.

Roger O Hirson’s book, a polymesmeric take on French history loosely based on Pippin – the younger son of Europe’s pre-medieval Emperor Charlemagne – is another matter, but it has the merit of lending itself to many different interpretations despite its flaws.

Wrapped around by this enigmatic and curious tale of coming of age, as told by a company of strolling players, are some of the purest jewels of modern musical theatre, beginning with the climatic ‘Magic to Do’, probably one of the three best opening numbers in Broadway history (along with ‘Wilkommen’ and ‘All That Jazz’), followed by ‘Corner of the Sky’, one of the most beautiful male solos ever.

The rich score also offers one of Broadway’s most astute celebrations of old age with ‘No Time At All’, an invitation to live life in full before it is too late. Unfortunately, it is delivered here by the talented but too young Mairi Barclay, better suited to playing the character of Fastrada, thus missing its point, one of the very few mistakes of this production.

The Act I closing song ‘Morning Glow’, covered by none else than Michael Jackson in 1973, is another intense number enhanced by numerous key changes.

The whole cast, many of which have transferred with the Manchester production, is impeccable. This begins with Fosse veteran from Chicago, Genevieve Nicole, as the sardonic Leading Player, and Jonathan Carlton – using his great voice to good effect – in a subtle portrayal of the not-so-innocent title character.

Tessa Kadler is equally believable as Catherine, the woman in Pippin’s life, whose bisexuality is subtly hinted at in this version. Rhidian Marc succeeds as well in the difficult part of Charlemagne, as does Bradley Judge in the role of stupid but sexy stepson Lewis.

Perfectly drilled by choreographer William Whelton, co-founder of the Hope Mill Theatre, multi-talented players Michelle Andrews, Ellie Seaton, Scott Hayward and Andrew Halliday all play many parts (foreshadowing A Chorus Line three years later when Fosse made sure the Broadway chorus dancer would never just be in the background again!).

The shadow of the master himself hangs prominently over this production, and not only because his ‘Manson Trio’ original choreography is faithfully re-created

The divinely decadent costumes of Maeve Black help conjure up the Fosse look while, even without the circus virtuosity of the previous revival, director Jonathan O’Boyle manages to infuse enough magic, including some amazing tricks, to do justice to an often overlooked and too rarely seen Broadway classic.

Patrick Honoré