Evita

A cast of 31 (plus 5 children) and an orchestra of 18 musicians brought a magnificent production of this musical about the iconic Eva Peron and her rise as a child from a poverty stricken background to the First Lady of Argentina, and one of the most powerful women in the world in the 1940s and 50s, to a packed theatre. With the orchestra being onstage on two raised tiers at the back of the stage and played out on an almost bare, black stage with only the minimum of props being added and excellent atmospheric lighting, the action all took place at the front of the stage giving a very intimate feel drawing the audience into the unfolding story. Jennifer Brown gave a tour-de-force performance as Eva with a superb singing voice, shown to its best in the showstopping “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” but I particularly liked her rendition of the gentler “You Must Love Me”, and excellent acting skills. She was equally matched by Callum Bell as Che as he narrated us through the story and their duet “High Flying Adored” was another highlight for me. So too was their “Waltz for Eva and Che” with impressive pared back choreography by Sarah MacNay. Scott Jamieson made a very impressive Juan Peron with his strong voice matching well with Eva’s in their duet “I’d Be Surprisingly Good For You”. Orla Woods in the role of Peron’s Mistress gave an outstanding rendition of “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” fully deserving of the extended applause received as she exited through the auditorium. Strong support was given by Archie MacLean as nightclub singer Agustin Magaldi and his rendition of “On This Night of A Thousand Stars” against the starcloth backdrop was a highlight. The ensemble singing was excellent throughout but especially in the opening “Requiem” and the rousing closing to Act1 “A New Argentina” and their movement throughout was faultless. Aaron Thom’s direction, with Bertholt Brecht influences, combined with Tim Tricker’s musical direction and Sarah MacNay’s choreography made this one of the best shows I have seen from this long-standing company fully deserving of the standing ovation and prolonged applause received.

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