Review of Marguerite at Theatre Royal Haymarket, 20 May 2008
The Les Mis team's latest musical sounds great but lacks romance
21 May 2008
Can songs alone make a musical? Well, not entirely. The eagerly-anticipated new outing from Les Miserables’ Boublil and Schönberg is amazing to hear, but not always as gorgeous to watch.
To see her through the Paris Occupation, former singer Marguerite (Ruthie Henshall on superb form) has scored herself a lucrative but loveless relationship with Nazi general Otto (Alexander Hansen). When piano player Armand (Julian Ovenden) catches her eye at her birthday party, she begins a dangerous affair which not only threatens them, but Armand’s Resistance sister and her Jewish boyfriend.
The songs are an absolute joy: skilfully orchestrated with snatches of jazz and strong lyrics - schoolgirls will doubtless be annoying their music teachers with them for years.
Sadly, the plot is just annoying. Marguerite and Armand fall in love with ridiculous speed even by musical standards, not so much overnight as over-lip and characterisation is thin, despite valiant efforts from a terrific cast.
This hasty snog-sing-sigh weakens the production’s impact terribly , sung about at great and silly length when the writers should be putting some flesh on the skeleton Resistance storyline. As it is, there’s not much to care about there either.
Marguerite is visually stunning, with fabulous costumes, imaginative set design and devastating choral scenes. Ruthie Henshall dazzles as the titular mistress, and Julian Ovenden’s piano playing is little short of miraculous.
Ultimately though there’s little to rival Les Mis’s depiction of Paris divided or, worse, its depiction of love.
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