Summoning Sondheim continues at The Glitch, London until 7 April 2025.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
We all mourned the loss of beloved Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim in different ways. No, what am I talking about? Most of us were normal about it. Sure, tears. Sure, listening to cast recordings on repeat for days. But we didn’t write an hour-long spooky comedy show featuring original songs and invite audiences of Sondheim-loving strangers to a candlelit basement in Waterloo to attempt to make contact with the afterlife in a musical theatre séance.
Writers/stars Grace O’Keefe and Jordana Belaiche, however, are not from this planet. Their oddball double act has a cartoonish, Muppet-adjacent energy, with the in-show Belaiche being dragged along by her more Sondheim-obsessed friend. However, it is clear they share an appreciation for the great composer’s work, and it is this reverence – and the consequent high quality of the show’s writing – that saves a campy evening about a real-life tragic death from any suggestion of tastelessness.
The comedy and ultimate sweet message of the show are broad enough to be enjoyed by all, but there are many, many references, Easter eggs, and in-jokes for the dedicated Sondheim fan too. Alongside a smattering of Sondheim’s works, there are original songs – by O’Keefe – which are thoughtfully crafted, with stacked true rhymes and impeccable phrasings perfectly in keeping with Sondheim’s oeuvre. Musical quotations abound, and though this is neither a revue nor a tribute concert, it is nevertheless a delight to be reminded of how many great songs the late composer has left us.
The ‘séance’ aspect of the show is not as earnest as you may fear, with Belaiche sinking into the character of a Sally Morgan-esque psychic, ‘Chanelle Marie’. The venue layout puts every member of the audience at risk of being included in the show, but these interactions are nothing to be afraid of. There is no mean-spiriting testing of the crowd’s Sondheim credentials and all audience ‘volunteers’ (that term is used loosely here) are treated with kindness and guided through the process. You may end up masked and on the floor in a ritual sacrifice to the Greek god Dionysus but, you know, in a fun way.
Early in the show, O’Keefe lays out her reasons for wanting to commune with the spirit of Stephen Sondheim. The late composer was renowned for his support of young writers through his voluminous and kind, typewritten letters. A young O’Keefe was lucky enough to share some correspondence with him, even going so far as to ask for his advice on writing her own great musical, but the tragic events of 26 November 2021 left this ultimate request unanswered. For all the silly comedy, as the show progresses, we are given a sombre reminder of the importance of writing, and the legacy that great art can leave.
Though there have been heartening signs of a turning tide with the recent success of brilliant female-led shows such as Fun Home and Hadestown, women are still massively underrepresented in musical theatre creative teams.
O’Keefe and Belaiche not only shine a spotlight on this issue, but through Sondheim’s timeless advice for writers, illuminate a path forward for anyone with a spark of an idea – particularly women. It is genuinely inspirational to witness. Between the heartwarming message of this show and their rotating guest stars of exciting new female musical theatre writing talent, O’Keefe and Belaiche may one day even get a mention in the Olivier Awards acceptance speech of the next great woman composer. Maybe it will be O’Keefe or Belaiche themselves.
Alongside important and heartfelt moments such as this, the tonal pendulum dependably swings back to silliness, larger-than-life performances and deserved pot-shots at Lord Lloyd Webber. Director Bel Parker ensures the slapdash, product-of-two-loons vibe is never lost in the more worthy moments, and the show is all the better for it.
O’Keefe and Belaiche are superb hosts, winningly enduring technical hiccoughs (ghosts in the system and in no way the fault of superb tech/associate producer Jake Venet) and keeping the basement’s energy high. Later in the show, there are even some bits of stage magic that buck the deliberately homemade feel and create a genuine frisson of excitement in the room.
Summoning Sondheim is decidedly not just for the super-fans, but it would be professionally negligent to not state clearly that the super-fans will enjoy this a great deal. It is simultaneously a celebration, a gay ol’ time, and a rousing call-to-arms. Have a good laugh, shed a tear for the sadly departed genius, share treasured memories with a basement of like-minded new friends, and even stick around for a tarot reading by O’Keefe afterwards, why not. A singular and joyful tribute.
Ian Bowkett
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