Bugsy Malone

Bugsy Malone, based on the unique classic film written and directed by Alan Parker in 1976, has lost none of its original appeal in almost 50 years. Using the events in New York and Chicago during the prohibition era of the 1920s in the world of gangsters, and inspired by the likes of Al Capone and Bugs Moran, and with a cast of only children playing all adult roles, it’s not an undertaking for the faint hearted. This is a production which the Phoenix Theatre team led by Director Amanda West carries off with vivacious aplomb.

The acting, singing and dancing was superb. Some characters like Fat Sam, played so well by diminutive James Cox making it even funnier, were rightly larger than life; whereas some such as Blousey Brown, played by Charlotte Harrison, were truthful and rightly understated in their performances. The singing voices were lovely and perfectly pitched: Livvy Keefe sang with a slightly aspirate voice making “My Name is Tallulah” quite breathy which was absolutely right. Full credit needs to be given to Beau West in the title role who played Bugsy in a delightfully relaxed way, with a maturity defying his age, holding all the action and the scenes together with effortless ease. He was barely, if ever, off the stage, which is a tall order for any performer; especially someone so young.

The audience were instantly greeted by enthusiastic costumed young programme sellers and the theatre itself was arranged half in cabaret style with raked seating towards the rear. It was a wonderful way to encourage interaction between audience members on the same tables which were decorated with red and white checked tablecloths and complimentary bottles of water and beakers, making the audience feel like they really were in “Fat Sam’s Speakesy”. Wanted posters on the walls showed “Dandy Dan”, and Bugsy Malone himself was seated on a bar stool at the front casually taking everything in as the audience settled. The audience was instantly aware who he was.

The A4 glossy quality programme booklet opens on an interesting history of Phoenix Theatre and a summary of the events in the show itself. The creative team have a double page spread and the cast list with mini bios, which comprises two different teams of children fills the majority of the rest of the programme. There is a lovely double page spread in the centre which shows shots of the two different casts with a mirrored arrangement so it’s clear there are two.

The set was minimal which worked really well. A built up small bar area plus tables and chairs, and cast appropriately moved things around. There was separate bar area level with the audience to the right, with high bar stools which worked well being in period and also allowing the audience to see the actors when seated. Bugsy himself was often seated there. There was a barber’s chair for literally one or two minutes at the beginning which was very effective, and impressive period telephones which looked authentic. Fizzy (played by Conor Boden) was both in character and realistically mopping the floor of “whipped cream” from the splurge guns which was a lovely touch.

The Bugsy Malone songs are so well known they have made it into the fabric of English speaking culture. As such it’s heartwarming to see and hear the classics “Fat Sam’s Grand Slam” and “Bugsy Malone” for example, performed so beautifully accompanied by gorgeous choreography by talented young actors. The orchestra were on stage at the back, behind the performers, which unfortunately meant they couldn’t be seen most of the time by audience seated on the floor area. It would have been good to have them slightly elevated as they formed part of what was going on and played almost continuously throughout the show, but the limitations of theatre hire for touring companies is to be understood.

Musical Director and Choreographer Brogan West should be congratulated on both the music and dancing elements. As well as the songs played live he also wrote the added score which underpinned the rest of all the action. The orchestra played almost continuously and the score so neatly dovetailed with the songs that it was impossible to tell the difference between old and new. The music enhanced everything on stage perfectly. The choreography looked deceptively simple, which means it really was anything but. There was a theme of threes all the way through, single or groups of three singers and dancers moving as one following by the next group of three echoing their movements. It was simply beautiful. Threes is of course a major theme in the show: the love triangle between Bugsy, Blousey and Tallulah; the gangster triangle between Fat Sam and Dandy Dan with a reluctant Bugsy in the middle. The two slow dances were also in threes, regarding the love triangle and in Fizzy’s heartsick song “Tomorrow” sung so achingly well by Conor Boden. Plus all these performers were drilled: each person knew exactly where they were meant to be and what they were doing, they all did it brilliantly, and were clearly having fabulous fun while doing it, which is obviously infectious to the audience.

All the characters looked absolutely right out of Fat Sam’s Speakeasy. It was the roaring 20’s full of glitz and glamour and sleaze: and splurge guns. The costumes and makeup all added to that, and the slightly oversized jackets on some of the boy characters actually made it better.

This production was utterly extraordinary and not something the audience will forget. It’s easy to imagine a show with only children being somewhat amateur or a school type production: definitely the opposite of what was presented here, which was absolute top quality.

Every inch of space was used: the characters ran through the tables when occasion called for it and they even included the raked seating at the back with a choreographed dance down the middle aisle, this was so lovely to see as the back of the theatre often gets forgotten. Every detail had been thought about, including the “read all about it” hollers from the newspaper sellers running through the tables with newspapers for the audience; papers which were properly printed with interesting material relating to the story. The talent on show is fantastic and it’s good to see the next generation taking to theatre with such joie de vivre, which is so encouraging for the future. All the main roles were super with particular mention to Beau West in the lead role for leading with such assurance and confidence. Also worth singling out was Ace Clements who was hilarious as the Butler, proving there is no such thing as a small part; and singer and dancer Esme Taylor whose stage presence and wonderfully finished lines in the dancing was joy to see.

This is a show packed with so much heart, soul and thoughtful details. The inept detectives interspersing scenes wearing their trench coats and carrying their magnifying glasses, and the eye wateringly hilarious cameo undertakers who started off slow and got faster and faster carrying off the children who had been “taken out” by the splurge guns – all tiny moments adding to a rich and gorgeous show. A truly wonderful production, which should go down in Phoenix Theatre’s history as one of their finest.

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