A Tale of Two Cities

A musical trip through two cities that goes like the Dickens

THE light is dim, a sallow glow weighing on the stage set as though immersed in a nightly mist. The London premiere of the new musical based on the novel by Charles Dickens plunges you straight into an eerie atmosphere of impending doom.

Set amid the turmoil of the French Revolution, this enduring classic follows the fortunes of a group of vengeful rebels intent on bringing the aristocracy down, and in their wake a story of love, revenge and sacrifice unfolds.

The antique look of the Gatehouse’s set adds to the tension hovering in the air as the music grows more intense, and soon a flurry of actors are

waltzing in and out of sight, singing their hearts out in impressive synchronised fashion.

Paul Nicholas, whose theatrical success began in 1969 in productions and lead roles in Grease and Jesus Christ Superstar, holds the directing reins in this latest adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities and introduces a cast of passionate actors intent on filling their songs with enough emotion to make you quiver.

The closeness of the set to the audience also makes for relentless waves of intensity, as Sydney Carton, played effortlessly by London stage first timer Tim Benton, takes a step closer

to belt out “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” the novel’s famous first lines.

As the actors stand in line singing and looking straight at the audience, suddenly the small set has the advantage of creating an emotionally filled ambiance and one is left to wonder how much more powerful the renditions would be given a bigger stage.

This latest adaptation of Dickens’s classic manages to transform an intense story into musical escapism with a cast that sizzles with emotions and conviction.

There are several musical versions of Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities knocking about. There’s the version just opened on Broadway by Jill Santoriello, Howard Goodall tried his hand shifting the action to Russia a couple of years ago, and then there’s this version, receiving its London premiere at the Gatehouse.

Condensing Dickens’ novel into a musical running at just over two hours is never going to be easy, but for the most part, this production succeeds rather well.

The action positively dashes along – especially in the first half – but not at the expense of characterisation.

Actors are mic-ed up and the sound levels are impressively controlled, especially bearing in mind the smallish auditorium, and they are given live accompaniment by two pianos.

The style of the piece and its setting is reminiscent of Les Miserables, and while it isn’t sung-through, it’s rare for underscore or a musical number to be absent for long.

Casting-wise, director Paul Nicholas has assembled (and well deployed) an impressive cast – Kiwi performer and London debutant Tim Benton is spot-on as the world-worn Sydney Carton. Jennifer Hepburn, as the object of his affections Lucie Manette, shows off a full and rich voice.

All in all, well worth a visit to north London and this production could certainly enjoy a future life.

It was the best of evenings

Adapting a serious musical from Dickens’ novel, set in Paris and London before and during the French Revolution, while not eliciting comparisons with another French musical still in the West End, was going to be tough. Admittedly they are set in slightly different periods, but revolutionary French peasants are the same whether they are waving red flags on a barricade or, in this case brandishing red knitting. When it is Susan Raasay doing the brandishing, as a magnificently unhinged Madame Defarge with wild-staring, evil eyes and grasping wicked needles, you get the message that these are serious revolutionaries.

The Tale follows once-aristocrat Charles Darnay’s flight from his evil Uncle, the Marquis D’Evremonde’s, assassination attempt into the arms and Sunday afternoon teas of the utterly English and epically beautiful Jennifer Hepburn as Lucie Manette. Tim Benton as Sidney Carton, dishevelled and slightly roguish solicitor who saves Darnay’s life and becomes a friend to the young lovers, is the classic yet unconventional literary English hero. As the excessively bad baddy, the mercenary Barsad, Paddy Crawley embraces the pantomimic, stopping short of encouraging boos.

A Tale of Two Cities is an epic musical, with a score to match and songs that pleasingly lodge themselves in your head and leave you humming “The Best Of Times” all the way back down to the Tube. Both Jennifer Hepburn’s and Tim Benton’s songs of love and love unrequited thrill and lighten the gloom of Mike Lees’ dark wood panelled set.

Horwich and Soames’ book thankfully précises Dickens for the stage but brings more humour than I remember and with Paul Nicholas’s tight direction it retains the drama and darkness of the piece, yet keeps it a compelling tale throughout.

A Tale of Two Cities feels every part the epic classic musical, which keeps the pulses racing with stirring, impassioned music and characters to care about. A larger than usual cast for the Gatehouse fills the stage during the chorus pieces and builds on the theatre’s reputation for attracting seriously fine performers who deliver seriously fine performances. Another musical triumph well worth the walk up the hill.

A beautiful tale of love and sacrifice.

Dickens’ unforgettable characters come alive on a musical stage and this has all the hallmarks of becoming a long-standing show

*****

The French Revolution is a gift for the creators of musicals, and the Dickensversion of the story is probably the best ever with the author’s genius for creating unforgettable characters.
Sidney Carton must rank with Rhett Butler as one of the most fascinating romantic heroes ever.
A drunken rake reformed by his love of a good woman who sacrifices himself for his preferred rival is irresistible.
Tim Benton as Carton is personable, with a resounding baritone and his final number tears the theatre apart.
The lovers Lucie (Jennifer Hepburn) and Charles (Michael Stacey) are never as interesting as the other characters, but they have good numbers to sing and they take advantage of every opportunity – as do the rest of the company, who have all got great voices.

Especially impressive are the revolutionary Defarges played by Tim English and Susan Raasay. A highlight is their early number The Freedom We See and the intensity builds around them until Madame Defarge’s final aria of hatred and revenge. John Fleming as the long-suffering Dr Manette has great sweetness of voice and gives a heartbreaking performance.
There are sprightly scenes – the relationship between Jarvis Lorry (Richard Stirling) and Miss Pross (Sarah Dearlove) bring light relief to the somewhat bleak story.

The small venue is perfect for this kind of production. The audience is so close that they are almost part of the action, seemingly surrounded as they are by the sound. Nothing needs to be said of the expertise of the writers, who are all at the top of their professions. The music and lyrics fit the story perfectly and I see no reason why this production should not have a lasting afterlife. This is a strictly concert version of the musical with just two pianos and a minimalist setting.

It is beautiful to look at – like a series of paintings by Jacques-Louis David, the lighting of Howard Hudson against a plain dark background highlights the tasteful grouping by director Paul Nicholas and the appropriate costumes by Mike Lees. A stunning production – not to be missed.

No, the RZ hasn’t made a journey to see the tripe currently running on Broadway. This OTHER version of the classic novel, running at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, is the brainchild of David Pomeranz (score), Steven David Horwich (Book/Lyrics) and David “I wrote the part of Time everybody hated” Soames (Book) manages to do what the big bad Broadway edition couldn’t: condense Dickens’s epic into a svelte 2:40 (with interval) without sacrificing characterisation or major events in the plot.
Director and co-producer Paul Nicholas has brought together an excellent and experienced cast (no fresh faced pre-drama schoolers here like the upcoming cast of Spring Awakening), and in this case things do get better with age: they sell the show marvellously. While the occasionally clunky line shows up in the text, it doesn’t get in the way, and Pomeranz has supplied a chamber score reproduced here on two pianos. Sound tech (no sound designer is credited) Andy Evans has gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide a wonderful mix which, given the large cast and small space, is no easy task. Mike Lee’s costumes are lovely to stare at and his set design is clean and simple.

Sometimes smaller is better, and this intimate production is worth checking out. The RZ would not be surprised were it to have a lovely future ahead. There’s a gem of a show here, and with some polishing it can become brilliant.

EVERY now and then there comes the chance to discover a new gem, a show which revives your passion for musical theatre and sends you home wanting to tell the world to see it.

This London premiere of A Tale of Two Cities is such a joy it deserves to be championed – give it a full orchestra and larger theatre and this could be the new Les Miserables.

Of course, there are similarities between this new show, based on the classic Charles Dickens novel, and Victor Hugo’s epic tale. Not least that they’re both set during the French revolution and tell of a man’s fight for justice, the battle between the poor and the aristocracy, interwoven with a classic tale of unrequited love.

Happily, they also share soaring tunes, evocative underscoring and a gripping, powerful story of sacrifice.

London stage newcomer Tim Benton tells his story with aplomb, his opening and closing lines as quick-minded barrister Sydney Carton shared with the original novel.

He carries the tale along from “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” to “It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done; it is a far far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known,” the latter sung with true depth of emotion.

But this is an ensemble piece and there’s not a weak link. Jennifer Hepburn is a glorious soprano who makes Lucie Manette a genuinely pleasing leading lady. Her final few scenes and beautiful duet with noble husband Charles Darnay (earnest and likeable Michael Stacey) are packed with emotional punch, while Sarah Dearlove and Richard Stirling provide the comic relief as Miss Pross and Jarvis Lorry. There’s an exquisite trio too between Carton, Manette and Darnay, as good as anything you’ll hear in bigger blockbuster musicals.

Director Paul Nicholas keeps the story tight (book by Steven David Horwich and David Soames) and the action moves swiftly – good news for a story which spanned three books The musical numbers, with lyrics by Horwich and music by David Pomeranz, manage to be both intelligent, accessible and pleasing on the ear. The set is simple and the performers transform it easily from aristocratic homes to courtroom, London to Paris and vice versa.

It’s atmospheric, enthralling and moving – and whether you’re fascinated at the historical tale or end up bawling at the tragedy, it IS the best of times. A must-see.