Leeds Playhouse – until 17th July 2021
Reviewed by Katie Goldsbrough
4****
Opera North’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music has everything, music, comedy, romance, and drama.
It tells the story of Desiree Armfeldt (Stephanie Corley) and her romantic entanglements with two married men, Fredrik Egerman (Quirijn De Lang) and Count Carl-Magnus Malcom (Christopher Nairne). When the two men and their wives Anne Egerman (Corinne Cowling) and Countess Charlotte Malcom (Helen Evora) join Desiree, her mother (Dame Josephine Barstow) and her daughter Fredrika (Agatha Meehan) in the country along with Fredrik’s son Henrik (Laurence Kilby) hilarity ensues.
This is a fantastic light-hearted production to introduce you back to the world of theatre.
Dame Josephine Barstow, delivers hilarious one liners throughout as she gives advice to her granddaughter Fredrika, she is also excellent at portraying a character you would not want to get on the wrong side of.
It’s not all fun and games and A Little Night Music also shows how the characters suffer due to the actions of the rest of the cast leading you to empathise with them and hope things work out, despite a lack of morals from many of them. The whole cast is wonderful and they all do an excellent job of bringing their characters to life.
A special mention must also go to the Opera North Orchestra who perform Sondheim’s music exquisitely, the lyrics are catchy and are performed beautifully by all the cast.
Although the stage is small the set is cleverly utilized throughout, particularly during act 2.
A Little Night Music is a joy to watch and a must see at Leeds Playhouse.