The premise of this show seems slightly crazy: writer and director David Levin wrote a series of poems that were then sent out to nine different composers across the world, and then brought together into this one musical revue. Surprisingly, this curious concept actually works remarkably well and I was amazed at how easily the songs segued from one to another, almost as if they had all been penned by the same composer.The songs are linked through the theme of love, and the majority are winners. I particularly enjoyed the sweeping melodies and chamber aspects to the pieces by Julian Wagstaff, Nigel Osborne and Georgios Athanasopoulos, but the music is consistently strong throughout. However, a musical revue is notoriously difficult to get right, particularly when such a variety of styles is involved. I am not completely convinced that the running order is correct yet; no real pulse throbbed through the piece and the second half felt considerably stronger than the first. There is also a distinct lack of an opening and closing number; it opens on a bit of a damp squib and then closes without any real sense of climax. Nevertheless, the filling in between is more than substantial, with an outstanding cast giving their all.The delightful trio of Cassidy Janson, Lindsey Danvers and Steven Wren are quite superb throughout. Their voices are pure and beautiful, and their acting is second to none. This is crucial to the success of the piece; the majority of the songs have a very simple staging yet the richness of characterisation and expressiveness carries the songs through.Janson's eyes brim with emotion throughout, bubbling with the untold back-stories of the characters and she effortlessly steals the audience's hearts. Wren displays a lovely stage presence, full of warmth yet with a beautiful tender side revealed near the end. Danvers emanates a command of the stage at all times, either whilst observing the others singing or when delivering the superb No More with utter truth and emotion. As a trio they are enchanting. The material, for the most part, matches up to their skill but as an entire piece needs a little work before it becomes entirely successful. Yet in the intimate atmosphere with lush voices surrounding me, I didn't mind a bit.
