On Monday 25th November 2019 I was invited to review "Curtains A Musical Whodunnit" at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford. I was excited to see the show as the icons John Kander (Music) and Fred Ebb (Lyrics), the men behind iconic shows such as, Cabaret and Chicago, had written the music, and I was so ready for a non-jukebox musical. Let's jump straight in and say, that I was not disappointed! The musical is packed full of songs that make you smile and tap your toes, "The Woman's Dead" and "Show People" were two of my favourite company numbers, I can't wait to buy the soundtrack. I wished there could have been one or two more emotional, heartfelt numbers, as I enjoyed, " I Miss The Music" beautifully sung by Andy Coxon as, 'Aaron Fox' and felt his performance was moving and sensitive, a character I invested in.
The casting of this musical was spot on, each actor played their roles perfectly, and special mention has to go to Jason Manford as, 'Lieutenant Frank Cioffi". I've never seen him perform before, so I was delighted to discover what an incredible singing voice he has, and his character was both comedic and sincere, I would definitely go and see him in other shows, a star casting that shows some people are just multi-talented.
Carley Stenson as, Georgia Hendricks, and Rebecca Lock as, Carmen Bernstein were both very strong in their respective roles; Stenson had elegance and a soulful voice, while Lock played the powerhouse Diva of Producer Carmen to perfection. Samuel Holmes played the stereotypical theatre Director, 'Christopher Belling' delightfully, I have definitely encountered this type of character before in my own performing experience, and I think he added a lot of the humour and fun to this show.
Director Paul Foster's vision was beautifully portrayed on the stage and it was well complimented by the set-design by David Woodhead which transported the audience backstage of the theatre. While I enjoyed the show, I felt at times the story-line felt a little thin, although having said that I do feel that writer Rupert Holmes has delivered an entertaining musical, with humour and fun. The choreography was stunning, Alistair David created a pleasing and entertaining spectacle on stage, with incredible tricks and moves during the show stopping numbers, however my favourite moment was, "He Did It" as I loved the humour and clever use of the clothes rails throughout.
Overall, I enjoyed this musical, it is like watching an Agatha Christie play, in song. It is twee, at moments far-fetched and a nice light piece of entertainment. The performers, orchestra, set, direction and lighting are all wonderful, the costumes are spot on and there are laughs aplenty. The Music is the hero in this show, I will definitely be listening to the soundtrack over and over again. As a show in its entirety, it somehow doesn't quite pack the punch of other musicals I have seen lately, and I can't put my finger on why, but it is entertaining and worth a watch, nonetheless.
Curtains A Musical Whodunnit is on at The Orchard Theatre until Saturday 30th November. Tickets are available here: https://orchardtheatre.co.uk/Online/tickets-curtains-dartford-2019
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