Evita

I have been looking forward to seeing this production for the past 6 months as it was a first for me.  I was a bit shaky as to the exact story line but the programme set me straight and I was able to sit back and be entertained.  BROS are now becoming renowned for putting on excellent shows and this was no exception.  Kate Bennett is a first class director who seems to prefer to organise her own choreography which was very well performed by the chorus with lots of very clever ideas. Their singing was a joy to hear and they were certainly kept busy with all the changes of costumes which looked right for the era.  For the uninitiated, this is a typical Tim Rice/Lloyd Webber production with great music being played underscoring all the dialogue.  Unfortunately the music failed badly by not underscoring but drowning out the words for most of the chorus numbers in Act One.  I don’t know who was to blame, the percussion, drums and wind instruments or the sound people.  Thankfully the accompaniment for the solos and duets was much better and the whole improved enormously in act two.  The fixed set was brilliantly designed and really well used and the lighting design works a treat. Eva Peron is a part most female actors would give their eye teeth to play. The show starts when she is young and an actress who does not really care who she sleeps with to get where she wants to be. Betty Jones definitely brought the part to life with her acting, singing and dancing which were first class.  Her rendition of ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ was outstanding. The other love interest and eventual husband of Eva was Juan Peron played by Ian Booker who at the time of their meeting had a young mistress played by Josie Gilchriest who sang her song 'Another Suitcase' beautifully giving the audience no doubts whatever about her character. Ian’s singing was first class and he managed to get all the emotion required for this part, not only the elation when he became president but also the sadness at the end when his wife Eva died. Richard Millen as Che was perfect narrating the story bringing out the true grit of the person he portrayed and Ryan Moss who played Augustin Magaldi, a Tango Singer who had an affair with the 15 year old Eva was equally convincing. Both these two gave great performances being talented singers and actors. There were no weak links in this show, in fact everyone was so good they could all have gone straight on to The West End stage and fitted in well. 

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