Menier Chocolate Factory – until 18 November 2023
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
3***
Ben Elton’s new musical about sixties icon Twiggy is bright and brash fun but lacks depth.
The story of Lesley Hornby’s rise to fame as supermodel Twiggy begins with an excitingly energetic depiction of Twiggy being mobbed by mask-wearing fans in New York with jerky, almost animalistic choreography. Unfortunately, this is not matched until the final number as Jacob Fearey’s choreography settles into the Saturday night variety show cliches of the era. (Matt Lucas’s treasure trove of “Good morning” cheesy dance clips sprung to mind instantly) There are some great tunes in the show, and the cast belt them with great style, but the choices are a little random – it reminded me of the cassettes of sixties and seventies hits that were popular as free gifts in the eighties.
I am unsure whether Ben Elton wanted to write an empowering biography or an acerbic critique of the sixties and seventies, but sadly this is neither. Twiggy’s mother’s mental health issues and her electroconvulsive therapy are continually brought up, and then swept aside – with a musical number as the doctors apply the electrodes!?! Elena Skye plays Twiggy with knowing but charming self-deprecation as she narrates key moments in her life from her childhood in Neasden up to the early eighties. Aspects of her story that raise red flags now are commented on by Twiggy’s friends Kay (Lauren Azania AJ King-Yombo) and Cindy (Aoife Dunne) with asides that, although funny, become repetitive and feel like a cop out rather than actually addressing these issues. Twiggy’s relationship with her “Svengali” Justin de Villeneuve (or Nigel, as his brother calls him) began when she was 15 and he was 25. Although genuine video showing his ridiculous but creepy attitude towards Twiggy is played, Elton’s writing and Matt Corner’s portrayal is straight out of Austin Powers, dissipating any discomfort and focussing instead on his pomposity. Very funny but missing a trick.
When Twiggy finally dumped Justin as her acting career took off, she fell in love with another older man – American actor Michael Witney (Darren Day). Witney’s alcoholism and its devastating effect on the marriage and their careers takes up most of the second half of the show, and this is a major problem as everything just grinds to a halt. Darren Day plays Witney as almost catatonic when sober, and things get much more interesting when he’s drunk. I can understand why this period was very important to Twiggy, but this section could be shortened to keep the flow of the show more stimulating.
Footage of Twiggy’s triumphant Broadway debut as she danced with Tommy Tune and a clip from her Top of the Pops debut bring an interesting energy to the later stages of the show as Skye performs in front of the screens, and the triumphant performance of “All Fired Up” as Twiggy recovers after Witney’s death and looks to the future, and her mother (Hannah-Jane Fox) takes centre stage.
Elena Skye’s portrayal is assured and warm, and she holds the stage effortlessly. Hannah-Jane Fox and Steven Serlin take the underwritten roles of Twiggy’s parents (all sappy wisdom and one-liners) and steal every scene with their wonderful performances. Serlin is a hoot with his accents as a variety of patronising TV personalities who try to belittle Twiggy. The talented ensemble is energetic and full of joy, and you can’t help but wonder what magic this cast could create with a script that was more focused and told Twiggy’s story with a clear style and coherence.
As it stands, Close-Up is an energetic and light-hearted, flimsy but fun show with an excellent cast.