Bridewell Theatre, London – until 13 April 2024
Reviewed by Chelsea Kania
4****
A very good show
It’s 1912 and New York is on the cusp of becoming the cultural superpower it is today, charged with new politics and creative undercurrents: particularly music. Swept up by the beat are seamstress Anna and meatpacker Henry, eager to become a renowned dance duo – and with a little spark between them, maybe something more.
Director Karen Jemison (Blood Brothers, Pacific Overtures) brings Allan Knee’s ballroom-inspired play to life with the choreography of Strictly Come Dancing’s Jenny Thomas, and a score of classics arranged by musical director Fiz Shapur. Jemison states, “Syncopation has everything you could want in a play and more – wonderful Ragtime music, a touching comic drama with two highly engaging characters and lots of ballroom dancing!”
The dancing and romancing are performed by West End and Broadway performers Devon-Elise Johnson (Half a Sixpence, Mamma Mia, Titanic) as Anna, and Jye Frasca (Wicked, Jersey Boys, Mary Poppins) as Henry. Syncopation is not so much a full-scale musical as a quirky romantic drama with comedic elements and dancing to help tell it. The story itself is a bit repetitive at times, but impressive stamina is on display here; as the sole cast members, Johnson and Frasca occupy the stage for two and a half hours with grace and charisma that can’t be faulted.
Mayou Trikerioti and Joseph Thomas also work wonders with a spartan set and lighting. I say this with real delight; I’ve never seen shipping crates look so ethereally beautiful. Anna and Henry are inspired by real-life couple Irene and Vernon Castle, who chased their dancing dreams right into celebrity, popularising contemporary dance and music both on stage and for a burgeoning generation of moviegoers. Jemison’s minimalist production favours quality of talent over theatrical spectacle, but it does a nice job of imagining the backdrop of early modernising 20th century New York.
Syncopation is a spirited celebration of early American dreaming with dance at its core.