Evita

Many thanks to Douglas Choral Union for inviting me to see their production Evita, performed at the Gaiety Theatre, Douglas. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to see this production on both Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th February 2024, which offered 2 insights into versions of the lead character from 2 outstanding actors. For formality purposes, this review is based on the Saturday evening performance, but I will explore the variations within the character which we portrayed, as this was a key take away for me from the productions. 

Evita is a biographical musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice which focuses on the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón. The story traces Eva’s journey from her early life showing her ambitious nature. She moves to Buenos Aires with tango singer-songwriter Agustín Magaldi, whom she persuades to take her with him. In Buenos Aires, Eva quickly ascends the social ladder, becoming a model, radio star, and actor. She eventually seduces the rising political figure, Juan Perón, who becomes the President of Argentina. As First Lady of Argentina, she aligns herself with the poor, winning herself, and Perón, popularity among Argentinians. The musical is narrated by another non-fictional Argentinian character, Che Guevara, a Marxist Revolutionary. The story opens and concludes with the death of Eva Perón and a period of public mourning, setting up the impact which Eva had upon her follow nation from the outset of the production. 

The production team were Scott St Martyn as director & choreographer, aided by Sarah Holland as assistant director and Jessica McManus as dance captain, with Steve Daykin as Musical Director, with input from Bryony Grant as Assistant MD & Karen Corkhill as the official accompanist.  The direction of the production was outstanding, from start to finish. The visual aesthetic to the end-to-end show was rustic & authentic to the period. There was incredible depth to the characterisations of the entire ensemble, and a stripped back, seemingly simple set design, which was epically detailed, and I say seemingly as am certain the mechanisms and logistics to get to this state were meticulous. Trucks and more items were utilised throughout the production, including a full-sized coffin, a flown in & projected upon cinema screen which was interrupted at the opening to announce the death of Eva Peron.  

There were 2 moments of the set which I would like to highlight as particularly outstanding artisanry. Firstly, a red velvet curtain was dropped during the scene which Eva met Perón for the first time. At this moment it seemed as though to be in place to a clear statement of the rise in social status of Eva acquaintance’s and to also act as a backdrop to Magaldi’s performance. Unknowingly until struck from the stage, this created a seamless transition, and immediate mood change for the to the Mistress scene. The second moment to call out is that of the infamous ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ number, where Evita iconically addresses her political followers. Until this point, the 3 platforms which were situated upstage seemed static. Midway through the number, the middle platform which Evita was standing atop began moving downstage so that the address changed from just those onstage to a direct address to the entire audience. I’ll come back to this point later in the review within the Evita character deliberation. Blended into the narrative were clear statements of the theme of the socialist gap, which underpin the show. These were made through reinstatements of the pomp and facade of the higher classes, juxtaposed with the raw & emotive naturalist performances of the lower classes and principal performers. There was also strong use of other more stylised moments where the fourth wall was broken through the narration of Che, bringing the audience lightly objective to the happenings on stage, which also worked to intensify the impact of moments of heightened emotion & tension.  

The choreographic elements were seamlessly woven into the story, through integrating into the action rather than adding ornamentation to the moments of song. I loved the detailed technical Latin American flair added throughout, bring the production back to the roots of where the setting of the story. In addition to this, choreography was very cleverly used as a stage craft to draw the audience’s focus to allow for spontaneous costume / scene / character disappearances.  

Musical direction was flawless, am sure all readers of this review will appreciate the complexity of which a Sir Lloyd Webber score is, with their flips in time signatures, musical genre, tempo, dynamic & key change within a bat of an eyelid. To achieve this magnificence with a 15-piece orchestra, an exceptionally vocally talented principle cast & an army of 46 ensemble members, including the coordinating 10 offstage booth singers, is the work of a master of their trade. The wall of sound created the instruction in blend, dynamic & definition within the characterisations were nothing but incredible. 

I also need to call out the costume, hair and make-up team, which was an army of 28, who all contributed to the authentic & cohesive feel of the production. From speaking with Jude Fullerton after the show, there were 60+ wigs which were prepared, styled & kept for each of the 10 shows. This gives an example of the levels of detail, effort and investment which are contributed from often unsung heroes behind the scenes. 

Now to the cast, I will start with the chorus, which I have touched on earlier. This small army acted as a solid cohesive unit throughout the performance. There was full commitment, with an outstanding energy, a stunning vocal blend & excellent demonstration of the class divide theme previously mentioned. The children’s chorus were also excellent & a nice touch, providing sensitivity to the themes & adding to portraying the warmth to Evita, which captivated her followers. There were 2 particularly notable performers within the chorus whose levels of technical ability stood out, namely Joey Hills and Jade Ward. Consistently within dance they really shone, down to the articulation within their lines of placement, which were detailed to extension & eyeline. I learned that Jade Ward was the alternate for the role of mistress but unfortunately lost her voice for the performances I saw, from what I saw of her in the chorus, am sure she brought something special to this role. 

The role of Mistress was played by Evie Skillicorn, which is a small featured part. Her vocal ability was stunning, providing vulnerability through not over playing the song and executing superb acting through song. Thomas Iain Dixon played Augustin Magaldi with flair and finesse. He delivered the part with stunning vocals, which were rich in timbre and delivered with ease and great gravitas. Perón was played by Alex Toohey who gave a strong performance and provided the show elements of the military themes which are showcased. There was an honesty to his performance and had an authentic rapport with Evita. 

Che was played Matt Creer who provided a thought provoking performance as I was left wondering for hours after the show if there was an intent to have this character as a subconscious of Evita’s internal thoughts, as opposed to a retrospective narrator. His character was well developed and grounded, playing the part more as an observer than an aggressor, reflecting internally on the narrative unfolding, allowing the focus to remain on the lead rather than competing for it. He lifted the feel through bringing moments of light humour, and was outstanding in his vocal performance, flipping between different vocal techniques and blending his moments of song naturally into the action on stage.  

So, to Evita, which was performed by Leah Carter on the evening this review is written, and Lauren Molyneux on the alternate performance I saw. I need to say before I deliberate into the character review. It was such a delight to watch 2 extremely strong, yet entirely different takes on the same character. One I would describe as a more vulnerable and sentiment take on the character, the other a feisty ambitious version, neither right nor wrong variations, both rounded and of depth, which were incomparable. Leah’s performance of this role was everything and more, taking the audience with her on an incredible character journey which was never overplayed. She showcased power and control within her vocal ability. I was particularly drawn to the depth to thought process which underpinned her entire performance, to the point every reaction was readable, reminding me of the multidimensional paradox which comes with the contradictory nature of being human. When she sang ‘You Must Love Me,’ the tears were flooding down my face. Not because we knew Evita was dying, or that she was singing to Perón, but because Leah’s version of this song was a reflection of each moment of her life, always driven by the need to be loved, which is exactly how she played out the story at each point of the show, yes an incredibly strong woman, fighting for more equality for her country, but also susceptible and craving the need of external validation. 

Thanks again to Douglas Choral Union and all the cast, crew and production team for the opportunity to provide my thoughts on this outstanding performance. I love it when I leave a theatre challenging my own perception & concepts or am left debating internally with afterthought around what I saw, and this is exactly what this show achieved for me. 

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