With an experienced cast who are no strangers to the Island stage and a show that promises swash-buckling adventure in the form of the mysterious Pimpernel, surely we would not be disappointed venturing out to the theatre on this balmy May evening?
Thankfully, there was much enjoyment to be had watching Shoreline Productions take on the 1997 Broadway version of The Scarlet Pimpernel; music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Nan Knighton. Whilst some of the audience may not have come across this musical version of the popular heroic story, the music alone is well worth the cost of the ticket! A full orchestra playing the seemingly endless rousing anthems scored by Frank Wildhorn, what’s not to love?
The musical itself is adapted from Baroness Orczy’s classic 1905 novel, the story follows Sir Percy Blakeney, an English fop who leads a double life as a masked vigilante; the Scarlet Pimpernel. Disgusted at the bleak and horrible punishments enacted on doomed French noblefolk, he and his secret league aim to rescue them from the guillotine. This however leads to emotional turmoil between Percy and his wife, Marguerite, who is unaware of his secret identity.
The role of Percy Blakeney has been played by many iconic actors including Leslie Howard, Antony Andrews and the unforgettable Richard E. Grant. Whilst these weighty performances may have been difficult to replicate, the sparkling and dapperly dressed Bertie Everson skillfully made this role his own with every stride, secrecy and oodles of heroic charm. Bertie was stunning as Percy and provided faultless vocals for every one of his songs. His vocal talents were also matched by his excellent characterisation of the mysterious Pimpernel.
Playing opposite Bertie was the fabulous Bryony Bishop as Marguerite St Just. She desperately tries to forge a happy life with her love Percy whilst avoiding the clutches of the menacing Chauvelin. With stunning vocals and an emotive acting performance, Bryony manages to embody the perfect Marguerite; providing a fighting spirit, passion and determination in her portrayal of the character.
As musical ‘bad guys’ go, Chauvelin, is one of the most dastardly. Throughout the story he is systematically trying to eradicate numerous characters with the aid of his trusty guillotine. In addition to this, he is also desperately trying to recover control over his lost Marguerite, using her clouded past as blackmail. Stuart Adams is suitably heinous in this role and there was an audible sigh of relief when he received a dose of karma at the show’s conclusion. Stuart’s vocal skills were called upon on many occasions and he delivered- he gave a strong performance with clarity and power.
Whilst the leads all shone in their roles, there were multiple opportunities for others to do the same with the significant amount of supporting roles and the sizable ensemble. As Tussaud and Marie Grosholtz, Ed Nash and Abbi Leverton provided great support as Percy’s French operatives. Oliver Fry ably took on the role of Marguerite’s brother and one of Percy’s merry band of avengers Armand. We particularly enjoyed the duet in ‘You are my home: Garden Reprise’ with Marguerite.
Whilst the Pimpernel is at the heart of this adventurous tale he would certainly have not been able to succeed in his daring rescues were it not for the rest of the ‘gang’. Paul Stevens, Jamie Carruthers, Jacob Mills, Tim Martin and Karl Whitmore all added their own sprinkle of charisma to these roles, most memorably in the humorous ‘Creation of Man’ number. Rob Bingham and Saab-Matthew Briar were also thoroughly convincing as Chauvelin’s fiendish henchmen.
Robespierre, Tom Ferguson, provided a fantastically authentic and convincing French accent laced with effective character nuances leading to a very skillful overall cameo that we very much enjoyed.
Theatre stalwart, William Nixon, brought his effortless standard of performance to the role of The Prince of Wales providing an impactful performance (even in the light of significant sound issues). It was also pleasing to see a younger Nixon on stage with Freddie playing the role of St. Cyr, however it was unfortunate that part of his song was missed due to another sound issue. In addition to this, more careful character placement in his execution scene would have allowed those seated at the side of the auditorium to see the action more clearly. Nevertheless, Freddie gave a strong performance throughout the show.
Whilst this performance produced many pleasing aspects, there were some moments that didn’t seem to ‘gel’ with the overall style of the period musical; for example fully lit scene changes with characters and crew onstage simultaneously. This was more effectively executed however when completed in a ‘blue out’ lighting state on other occasions.
Whilst there is much to highlight in the strong performances of the cast, attention must also be paid to one of the most stand out elements of the show, the costumes! The attention to detail and the level of craftsmanship present for everyone to see was incredible. Whilst the set design may have been in a minimalist style, there was nothing but grandeur and opulence oozing from the clothes that adorned the stage. A great example of this could be seen in one of our show highlights, at the beginning of act two, in the Ball Room. With seemingly all of the cast on stage, the dresses and outfits swished and glimmered in an expertly choreographed sequence as Marguerite desperately tried to identify the Pimpernel in order to save her brother.
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a lively concoction of melodrama, comedy and lavish costumes. Shoreline productions can be proud to have brought this story to the stage. “They seek him here, they seek him there, those Frenchies seek him everywhere.”… don’t worry though, we’ve seen him and you can too! At the time of writing, there are still chances to catch this production, Saturday 30th 2.30pm and 7.30pm and Sunday 31st 2.30pm at Shanklin Theatre.
