Paint Your Wagon (Liverpool Everyman)
Sadly this musical play from the pen of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe is probably one of their least performed pieces and is likely remembered as much for the 1969 Movie with Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood as it is for any stage performance. Attempting to redress the balance the Liverpool Everyman Theatre do an awe inspiring job, everything from Gemma Bodinetz's influential direction, through Tom Jackson Greaves's inventive choreography to George Francis's striking orchestration has the audience captivated from beginning to end.
Based during the California Gold Rush the story tells intertwining tales that reveal how something that appears so quickly and is so initially enriching can disappear equally quickly and leave many with nothing, additionally how the 'battle of the sexes' has changed so radically over the years.
It is hard to single out specific performances for praise as this is so much a collective piece but, it is fair to say that Patrick Brennan as Ben Rumson is intensely entertaining, Emily Hughes as his daughter Jennifer is truly captivating and Richard Bremmer brings everything to a number of parts both male and female.
Simply put though this is a cast of ultimate talent that work so well as a team you would imagine they had been doing so for years rather than a brief rehearsal period. Seamless scene-to-scene movement including character changes at the blink of an eye, mix in such a way as to never let the pace or the entertainment value drop, something one doesn't always find these days.
As if this complex storyline isn't difficult enough the 'in the round' or should I say 'square' staging with audience on all sides makes it even more difficult for the players to engage with all who are watching but, they seem to be able to do so without losing balance or flow which would be very easy with so many faces to play to.
It would be remiss of anybody who is a fan of the musical genre not to see this production as it is an inspiring piece of theatre but, also going on history the chance of seeing 'Paint Your Wagon' again soon is pretty slim so make sure you head to Liverpool before this run ends on 14th July 2018.
Book Here
Based during the California Gold Rush the story tells intertwining tales that reveal how something that appears so quickly and is so initially enriching can disappear equally quickly and leave many with nothing, additionally how the 'battle of the sexes' has changed so radically over the years.
It is hard to single out specific performances for praise as this is so much a collective piece but, it is fair to say that Patrick Brennan as Ben Rumson is intensely entertaining, Emily Hughes as his daughter Jennifer is truly captivating and Richard Bremmer brings everything to a number of parts both male and female.
Simply put though this is a cast of ultimate talent that work so well as a team you would imagine they had been doing so for years rather than a brief rehearsal period. Seamless scene-to-scene movement including character changes at the blink of an eye, mix in such a way as to never let the pace or the entertainment value drop, something one doesn't always find these days.
As if this complex storyline isn't difficult enough the 'in the round' or should I say 'square' staging with audience on all sides makes it even more difficult for the players to engage with all who are watching but, they seem to be able to do so without losing balance or flow which would be very easy with so many faces to play to.
It would be remiss of anybody who is a fan of the musical genre not to see this production as it is an inspiring piece of theatre but, also going on history the chance of seeing 'Paint Your Wagon' again soon is pretty slim so make sure you head to Liverpool before this run ends on 14th July 2018.
Book Here
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