Pippin – The Eagle Garden Theatre

Ryan Anderson and the cast of Pippin at The Garden Theatre, London. Picture: Bonnie Britain Photography

Pippin continues at The Eagle Garden Theatre, London until 11 October 2020.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Despite being a Broadway hit, Pippin (book by Roger O. Hirson, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz) has divided audiences ever since its Bob Fosse-directed debut in 1972. Can this 1960s-inspired production at The Eagle’s ever-evolving Garden Theatre find more universal appeal in 2020, when we need unifiers more than ever?

Pippin is often criticised for the surface unlikeability of its titular character or considered baffling for its meta-theatrics and narrative ambiguity. These qualities are exactly what make the show so beloved by others. Its reticence to handhold an audience means we imprint our own interpretation of what deeper meaning the production may or may not have, and leave feeling smug that we have understood such an unusual show, excited to debate philosophy with our friends (who more likely than not will have taken away a completely different message).

Case in point: ‘Corner of the Sky’ is one of musical theatre’s most vague ‘I Want’ songs, despite being a bona fide bop. Not only that: every single one of Pippin’s ‘memories’ during the show is shown to be unreliable, reflecting how we all craft our own ‘Hero’s Journey’ that surely bears little resemblance to our realities.

Pippin’s story is told by a troupe of actors – in this case just six due to the limitations of presenting theatre during a global pandemic. They saunter seductively onto stage – apparently having come straight from Hair’s lost property box – to find Pippin (Ryan Anderson) waiting for them, decked out in similarly garish 60s hippy attire.

Some prefer their Pippins to be as off-putting as possible, but Anderson is simply too winningly charismatic for this route. His effortless vocal chops and surprisingly dynamic dancing more than compensate for the character’s built-in obnoxiousness. He is a likeable Pippin, despite brooding with an earnest angst that surely makes him a shoo-in to play Orpheus when Anaïs Mitchell’s brilliant Hadestown eventually returns to London.

The troupe of players is led by the delightfully imperious Tsemaye Bob-Egbe. Her sheep-adjacent 60s garb does no favours for her character’s mystique, but Bob-Egbe transcends the questionable fashion to deliver a sinister and sensational performance, along with some of the best vocals of the night. She does a particularly fantastic job bringing out the subtleties of Nick Winston’s Fosse-adapted choreography.

It is this choreography that is most impactful on the night. What little theatre has emerged these last few months has mostly been fairly static rehearsed readings or cautiously distanced performance. When all six cast members fill the tiny playing area with perfectly synchronised, high-energy movement we are transported back to those spectacular musical theatre moments of the before times, despite being in a beer garden with few props and little scenery.

Harry Francis is another stand-out dancer and delivers well-differentiated performances as Pippin’s meathead brother Lewis and the sweet adolescent Theo. Charlemagne himself is portrayed by Dan Krikler, who rattles off the king’s tricky patter song without breaking a sweat, before going on to provide solid ensemble support and even backing up musical director Michael Bradley’s piano with an acoustic guitar.

Pippin’s love interest and salvation Catherine is played by Tanisha-Mae Brown in her professional debut. She exudes wholesome, comfortable happiness. It is impossible to imagine the fear that must come with graduating into an industry just as it is shut down, not to mention the pressure of your first show being one of the only productions in the whole of London, but Brown is commendably self-assured in her formidable talent and puts the audience at ease just as much as she does Pippin.

There is a playful jealousy amongst the troupe when roles are allocated by the Leading Player. However, when it comes to the parts Joanne Clifton is given that envy is tangible. Clifton has the good fortune to portray both Pippin’s ‘Glinda-gone-evil’ mother Fastrada, and Bertha, his life-loving grandmother. Clifton wrings every possible laugh from both parts expertly, and even ad-libs a few more for good measure. Her scenes are pure comic theatre and Clifton is superb throughout.

During Bertha’s show-stopping number ‘No Time At All’ the audience is encouraged to sing along with the words “spring will turn to fall/in just no time at all”. A bittersweet shoulder-slumping of recognition ripples throughout the audience despite the uplifting melody. These last six months have been difficult. For many, 2020 really does feel like a lost year. The song’s message of enjoying the time we have hits even harder in this context.

This is not the only of the show’s themes to find new potency in 2020. We see revolution, and leaders attacking protestors and attempting to dictate people’s beliefs. Especially powerful is the portrayal of a young man’s struggle with his inner demons during one of the worst mental health epidemics in recorded history. It is a perfect time to be reminded of the importance of embracing what good things we have rather than fixating on the glamorous impossibilities of fantasy.

For many at The Garden Theatre, the character of Pippin could be more relatable than ever before. Between the sparkling humour, spectacular dancing, and impressive engagement with Pippin’s darker themes, director Steven Dexter has put together a compelling and entertaining evening of theatre. Whatever it loses in spectacle and running time, it more than makes up for in timeliness, hope, and unifying joy.

Ian Bowkett