THE FABULIST
Charing Cross Theatre
12th Aug to 21st Sep
“1929. Illusionist-extraordinaire and outlawed heretic Julian finds himself on the run from Mussolini and the Catholic church. Stumbling upon a film shoot, he dazzles screenwriter Clarice with his magical skills and easygoing charm. But how can you trust a man whose life is built on illusion? And what will happen as the regime closes in on him?
Giovanni Paisiello, one of the most famous composers of his time ((1740-1816), was famed for his bubbly, colourful and fun-filled operettas. Combining some of his most sublime music with a brand new libretto, The Fabulist is both a forgotten classic and a modern tale of romance and self-discovery.
The Fabulist, with book and lyrics by James Farwell, is based on Paisiello’s opera The Imaginary Astrologer, Catherine the Great’s favourite, written specially for her. Paisiello, who heavily influenced Rossini but with a lighter tone, was the favourite composer of both Catherine and Napoleon, for whom he composed Coronation music.”
Review by Richard Lambert, 4 Stars
It’s always a surprise when you enter the Charing Cross Theatre. The layout and positioning of both the set and the audiences and the perspective this creates must have been tested a thousand times by now. This one gets it right. A high vaulted look with audience end-on. And the Set covers the aisle that often makes it feel like an auditorium of 2 rooms. Already it feels like a grand opera house scaled to fit. David Shields’ set design having the grand opera feel with a twinkle of mischief in the cotton-wool clouds. You will want to look up and around and not just see the ground floor level of this set.
With an orchestra on the balcony, the musicality in the show is fruity rich.
The female roles were beautifully portrayed by Réka Jónás and Marienella Phillips who somehow managed to maintain the conviction despite the absurdity of what was going on around them. With absurd comedy in the form of Trojan Horses, Bottomless boats strapped over the actors’ shoulders and vintage cameras that continue to be used even though the film reels have been removed and sent for print there’s a lot going on.
The musical numbers are pure delight and a welcome break in some of the dialogue which was slightly pedestrian. It was a shame that there wasn’t choreography in the musical numbers or a baroque palace dance and Count Petronius did seem to struggle to keep up with the rhythm of the songs dragging behind here and there but perhaps this was a character choice?
The lighting was striking with shadows across the faces and the sound maintained a constant level of echo even for the dialogue. Unusual choices but perhaps it was felt this matched the vaulted cathedral grand feel of the production?
The magic was interesting and peppered throughout. The highlight being a brilliant levitating ball illusion that was perfectly performed!
The most interesting story within the story for me had to be no-nonsense Cassandra (Marienella Phillips) in a power-suit falling for Pupuppini (Constantine Andronikou) who’s performance got camper and camper throughout the show. Someone should have a quiet word with Cassandra – or perhaps she already knows. This storyline of the show sums up what it’s all about – tongue-in-cheek fun on top of some lovely songs performed beautifully.
Photo credit: Mark Senior
Dan Smith, James Paterson, Stuart Pendred, Constantine Andronikou
Réka Jónás, Lily De La Haye, Jack Holton, Marienella Phillips
Director John Walton
Musical Director & Orchestrator Bobby Goulder
Set and Costume Designer David Shields
Lighting Designer Fridthjofur Thorsteinsson
Sound Designer Andrew Johnson
Casting Director Debbie O’Brien
Producer Steven Levy for Charing Cross Theatre Productions
Charing Cross Theatre
The Arches
Villiers Street
London WC2N 6NL
www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk
Box office: 08444 930650
The box office is open from 2 hours before curtain time on performance days for personal callers
12 August – 21 September
Performances:
Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm
Wednesday at 2.30pm
Saturday & Sunday at 3.00pm
Tickets from £20.00
Upgrade your ticket to include a glass of bubbly and a programme for just £7.50
A booking fee applies to phone and internet orders; no booking fee to in person over the counter sales.
A restoration levy applies to all tickets
Social Media
Twitter
@CharingCrossThr
Instagram
@CharingCrossThr