His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen – until Saturday 13th April 2024
Reviewed by Fiona Leyman
4****
What would you do in the name of love? You would probably do anything right, but some go that little bit further, and one of the most famous love stories is that of Bonnie & Clyde. This isn’t your typical love story though, where they live happily ever after, in fact, they didn’t live that long at all. Most know the basic story of the infamous outlaws Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow. Tearing if up around the USA in the 1930s, robbing banks and killing law enforcement who get in their way, and then finally being shot to death in their car. It’s surprising that this is the extent of what most of us know. You don’t normally hear their back story as to why, how and the reason they did what they did. Winner of What’s on Stage’s Best New Musical award and fresh from London’s West End, they are now Raising a Little Hell around the UK on their new UK Tour to tell their story.
After attending the rehearsals in London for this touring company, I was excited to see the final production. It is notoriously hard for touring companies to have the same impact on the road as their counterparts did on a West End residency. Having seen the West End production it was hard not to make comparisons between the shows, but I was pleasantly surprised that they managed to pull this off. Set Designer Philip Witcomb, stayed true to his original design from its time at the Garrick Theatre in London. Bullet holes plastered all around the set, working props and the use of a projection screen to give the illusion of a moving set. This simple, but effective set is perfect for a production on the road.
Catherine Tyldesley, most notably known for her time on Coronation Street, has been cast to play Blanche Barrow. A perfect choice for this strong-willed character. This part was effortless for Catherine and showcased how much of a beautiful voice she has. Playing her husband Buck Barrow, Sam Ferriday (Jersey Boys, Treason) is a force on stage. His voice was one of the strongest and I personally wish Frank Wildhorn’s score could showcase his character’s voice a little more.
Having been to the rehearsals, Alex James-Hatton, who plays Clyde Barrow has by far made the most progress. I was a little worried that his voice was not strong enough for some of the higher pitched notes, but I was happy to be proved wrong when he was note perfect throughout. Belting out the classics “Raise a Little Hell”, “When I Drive” and “The World Will Remember Me/Us”, Alex is yet another perfect choice to play Clyde. His entire performance captivated the audience and managed to show the vulnerability of his character.
A stellar, stand out performance came from singer/songwriter Jaz Ellington who plays the Preacher. Bonnie & Clyde The Musical marks his theatre debut, and his soulful, gospel, smooth voice made him my star of the night. Jaz needed little effort to hit those high notes which echoed around the theatre. He is a notable star, who will have a long career in Musical Theatre.
Sadly, sounding issues made some of Bonnie’s, played by Katie Tonkinson (Bat Out of Hell) vocals a little high pitched. The beginning of Bonnie’s song “Dying Ain’t So Bad” was stunning, but as the tempo and sound increased, this unfortunately dampened the effect this song was trying to portray. Undoubtably, Katie has a beautiful voice, but these issues, did make it difficult to fully appreciate her talent.
Bonnie & Clyde The Musical is not one to be missed and without the sounding issues, wholeheartedly would have deserved 5 Stars. Bonnie & Clyde certainly Raised a Little Hell here in Aberdeen and we are sure to Remember Them!