La Cage Aux Folles Review

Park Theatre, London – until 21 March 2020

Reviewed by Donna Easton

3***

Having seen the musical (twice) and being a fan of the French and American movie versions, I was thrilled learn there was a play and excited to see a story I love in this format. I was indeed surprised that the original French script hadn’t been adapted for a British audience until now and was filled with anticipation when I found out that the adaptation had been crafted by the incredible Simon Callow. As set ups go, this one was promising!

Entering the theatre was a joy, the staging immerses us into a gloriously flamboyant apartment and the intimate setting of the Park Theatre is perfectly designed to bring the audience into the room. In fact, the actors asides to the audience and at times sitting among us, made us much more part of the action than our proximity to the stage alone.

The first half of the play lived up to all of my expectations.

Michael Matus’ George was a delight to watch on stage. A lovely mix of tender, exasperated, panicked but above all real. His performance was perfectly balanced and he provided a strong characterful constant throughout the piece.

Paul Hunter’s Albin too was a joy. The drama, the theatrics, the devotion and the faded star vibe were wonderful to watch. A brilliant character performance that was at times hilarious yet heart-breaking as we see the character’s conflict in staying authentic or doing the honourable thing.

A highlight for me was Syrus Lowe’s Jacob. The outrageous ‘maid’ is beautifully written and brilliantly played and I must mention the glittering array of fabulous outfits…and not the kind of outfits one would usually wear in this line of work!

The son, Arthur Hughes and his fiancé Georgina Ambrey have the difficult roles of the ‘straight men’ of the piece and I am afraid I felt that Arthur’s Laurent lacked depth of character.

I must admit the second half wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. The balance tipped a little too far into farce for my liking and didn’t provide me with the laughs of the first. Georgina’s parents played by Louise Bangay and Simon Hepworth were slightly disappointing and the sudden movement from abject horror of their daughter’s choice of in-laws to donning Charleston dresses seemed clunky.

The play is a great version of this story but I think my longing for performance was desperate for a little glimpse into the club. I know the whole point was that we only imagine it but my fear of missing out was getting a little frustrated sitting up in the apartment when I knew there was a party going on downstairs!

All in all, it was a great night out at the theatre. My friend and I enjoyed it and I would recommend it.