Theatre Royal, Brighton – until 1st July 2023
Reviewed by Sue Bradley
4****
Written by Harry Hill and Steve Brown, this is a journey through the almost operatic arc of Tony Blair’s story, from peace-loving frontman of a college rock band, through becoming the Labour Party’s (or should that be ‘New Labour’s’?) most successful Prime Minister, to ending up a national outcast.
Sounds like it might be a bit grim? Well, it isn’t. Harry Hill’s telling of the story is shot through with his trademark adult version of schoolboy humour, with lots of one-liners and light-hearted banter. And Steve Brown’s songs are witty, clever and tuneful. It is slightly unusual to find a skilled composer who is also such a talented lyricist.
Jack Whittle is a wide-eyed, handsome, and somehow perpetually shiny, presence as Tony Blair. Howard Samuels engages the audience regularly, playing a number of characters, most notably as a comically Machiavellian Peter Mandelson. With the exception of Tony, the entire cast take multiple roles and, interestingly, several of the key male characters are played by women, to great comic effect. Rosie Strobel’s Osama Bin Laden is particularly memorable.
We have become used to musicals having complex and colourful sets and lavish costumes. This show is the complete opposite – the set is almost completely black, with only a couple of flashes of red. Almost all of the characters are in black suits, with one of the flashes being Tony’s red socks. I am almost surprised that the guitarist with the onstage band wasn’t instructed to play black guitars! The three piece band were effective and never over-loud – this is quite an achievement as the drummer sits centre-stage and is not screened off in any way. Impressive.
On reflection, I wonder if this monochrome approach to set and costume design is a coded message to suggest that things in politics are rarely as black-and-white as they seem?This is very much a show of two halves; the first is a whistle-stop tour through the years where Tony became the Labour Party’s darling and perhaps tries to cram in too much. The second half is a more measured affair as the problems in the Middle East and Tony’s approach to dealing with them lead to his eventual downfall. It also contains some of the strongest songs; the titles ‘Kill The Infidel‘, ‘Special Relationship‘ and ‘Whole Wide World‘ might give you a clue as to what’s in store.
Perhaps we have become so used to slick productions that the slightly madcap antics, deliberately ridiculous wigs, accents and occasional ludicrous costumes give the show the feel of a highly rehearsed school production; the players all give top-notch performances, the choreography works beautifully, the sound design is excellent. It is just that somehow occasionally the show didn’t gel completely.
Nevertheless, this is an excellent night’s entertainment. The audience was brought to its feet well before the curtain call and we all found ourselves singing along happily in the last song. And there is a neat twist right at the very end.
This is a very good show that can only get better. Do yourself a favour; go and be reminded of what went on during the Blair years and have a good laugh at the absurdities of modern politics.