Is it a musical? Is it a curler derby? Is it a game-show? When the roller-skating phenomenon that’s “Starlight Express” opened in London in 1984 it was all of these and extra, as evidenced by its 18-year run. It lasted simply 22 months on Broadway however in a uniquely created theater in Bochum, Germany, it has simply entered its thirty seventh yr. May North London’s much-vaunted new model in a particularly rebuilt theater emulate that success? Hope springs everlasting, however given Luke Sheppard’s surprisingly strained and solely intermittently thrilling manufacturing, it’s going to want an enormous advertising and marketing spend.
Each iteration of the present has subtracted and added numbers to Lloyd Webber’s rating. That is smart for the reason that present was by no means conceived as significantly thought-through musical drama however extra as a succession of songs to create a fun-fest occasion about trains racing towards each other to attraction to theater newcomers. This was event-theater earlier than anybody coined the time period.
Constructing on quite a few earlier iterations of the present, the main adjustments of this new manufacturing replicate welcome departures from eighties sexual politics. Within the unique, all of the trains had been male with females relegated to enjoying subsidiary coach characters. Right here, some genders have been switched. One of many main contenders for the prize for the quickest practice, Greaseball, previously Elvis Presley-like, is now feminine and performed by Al Knott. Equally, the character of the central baby’s father is now his mom (Jade Marvin.) And within the period of local weather consciousness, a brand new character, Hydra (Jaydon Vijn) – as in hydrogen – arrives to assist the hero on his approach.
Sheppard was a crafty selection as helmer since he labored wonders with “& Juliet”. Armed with the seemingly foolish idea of marrying a slew of Max Martin mega-hits with a Shakespeare sequel, he created a smash which, nonetheless working on Broadway, was tons extra sensible enjoyable than anybody anticipated. However that present has an unexpectedly crafty e-book that holds the nothing-succeeds-like-excess staging collectively. “Starlight Specific” has so little driving plot that it doesn’t actually have a e-book author – though its originating choreographer Arlene Phillips is now credited as “artistic dramaturg.
What Sheppard offers is pizzazz. Carrying trackers that synch with the lighting, sound and video, the ever-exhilarated skaters zip winningly from set designer Tim Hatley’s round central house up ramps, round, amid and thru the auditorium. Troublingly although, the auditorium format is such that it’s tough to work out who’s main the races. Info is flashed up on video screens atop the appearing house and on both facet of the auditorium, however they’re oddly small and don’t command consideration and watching them means viewers focus is commonly break up. On the appreciable plus facet, the command of the eye-widening tech meshing sound, visuals and motion is dazzling.
The busiest folks on a reasonably frantic present are arguably lighting designer Howard Hudson and his staff who illuminate the motion with the whole lot from super-saturated neon-style traces and chase results to isolating laser shapes and intense washes of turquoise and purple. Crucially, the lighting additionally ignites and punctuates the whole lot, a powerful feat on condition that the motion on this boisterous however jeopardy-free model wants assist.
The manufacturing’s main change is that whereas initially the racing trains had been commanded into motion by an unseen booming voice-over, now, the pre-teen younger boy, Management (Christian Buttaci on the efficiency reviewed) whose dream the present is, now runs issues. This makes narrative sense however his high-pitched yelling is extra endearing than propulsive. And it couldn’t be extra ironic that in a present wholly about rivals fiercely racing to win, the lacking components are momentum and stress. There are particular person thrills, however nothing accumulates.
A part of that’s as a result of the characters are wafer-thin. The daredevil dedication of the quadruple-threat performers – singing, appearing, dancing and skating – is certainly admirable however you start to lengthy for extra, properly, persona. Tall, arch Electra, the electrical practice, guarantees so as to add very welcome camp into the proceedings however Tim Pigram is stymied as a result of though his unexpectedly pointy inflatable costume (by Gabriella Slade) will get laughs, his dialogue falls wanting the queeny promise. Eve Humphrey’s perky eating automotive Dinah is delightfully exact, however the manufacturing’s rush to get to the following race militates towards stronger work from just about everybody.
Musically, the brand new songs add little. A blues quantity for Momma is character-appropriate however, just like the rating’s weaker moments, sadly generic.
The highpoint is the final word singing of the oft-repeated, pretty and hauntingly hopeful title tune. All of the sudden, the whole lot calms down as Rusty (Jeevan Braich, in his skilled debut) sings sweetly into the darkness. Sound designer Gareth Owen offers Laura Bangay’s top-flight band evocative, echoey reverb and the entire design staff fly in particular person glowing stars towards a ceiling stuffed with shimmering pin-pricks of sunshine. It’s restrained and magical.
However is a second of tender stillness the perfect advert for a present that ought to be all about pulse-quickening pleasure?
