London’s newest Pub Theatre has opened with a sublime production of Stephen Sondheim’s rarely-staged Marry Me A Little. The Stage Door Theatre, sitting above the Prince of Wales on Drury Lane, surely has the most enviable location of any fringe venue – in the heart of the West End. The room has all the trappings of a proper boozer, such that it’s clear the stage will have to make way for a Six Nations screening or Derek’s leaving do; yet the set and lighting is so deftly realised that it would put many a permanent installation to shame.
An utterly brilliant night and such a strong start for this new pop-up pub theatre
More than a decade before Julia McKenzie was plucking songs from the Sondheim canon to forge Putting It Together, in 1980 Craig Lucas and Norman Rene had raided Stephen’s trunk of discarded numbers to create a musical about love and relationships. It’s a sung-through revue, with a set list that has morphed with each new director’s hands. Including songs from Follies, Company and all the way to the ultra-obscure Evening Primrose, it’s a 65-minute collection of scarcely performed material that any Sondheim fan should put on their must-see list.
Two newly singleton New Yorkers live in the same apartment block – her above him. It’s Saturday night and they are both alone, dwelling on past relationships and possible new ones. On stage they share the same space, gliding between each other with perfect choreography – but they never meet.
The song choices evoke the relatable circumstances the pair find themselves in. Sondheim’s sparkling lyrics bring to life their regrets, memories and fantasies. Even though many a jukebox musical suffers from squashing together unrelated songs and losing any meaning, here there is a genuine narrative.
The casting is completely on point. Markus Sodergren as the man has a commanding vocal range complimented by Shelly Rivers’ beautiful soprano vibrato. And whilst it seems impossible to create chemistry when neither character interacts with each other, somehow it’s just there. They are accompanied by Musical Director, Aaron Clingham, on a single keyboard which kinda feels right for this intimate setting. Richard Lambert appears to be working miracles creating perfect scenes out of just a handful of lighting cans and David Shield’s set is wonderfully detailed without being overly busy. And I still appreciate that all this kit needs to be packed up to make way for Bethany's birthday drinks tomorrow.
Director Robert McWhir has created an utterly brilliant night and such a strong start for this new pop-up pub theatre. The upcoming programme, which includes a new home for the iconic musical singalong night – Overtures – will surely make the Stage Door a regular haunt for many of us West End Wendys.
