After touring the UK pre-pandemic, Amelie has found a new home in the heart of Piccadilly Circus. This quirky little show, based on the 2001 film of the same name, is one of the first musicals to be delighting audiences once again. You can’t help but admire their bravery for taking the risk and opening at reduced capacity. If you’re nervous about heading back to the theatre, you need not worry with this one. Track and trace information is provided before arriving, temperatures are taken at the door, and all drinks and merchandise can be delivered to your seat. The front of house staff are doing amazing work to welcome us all back into the theatre.

Amelie has been heavily revised from the original, very short-lived, production I saw on Broadway. I can’t say I hated it before, but I also can’t say I remember much of it either. It wasn’t anything special. More of a passing irrelevance during my time in New York, as harsh as that sounds. I think the new direction from Michael Fentiman is the reason it now makes a more lasting impression. The general gist of the story is that it’s about a woman who finds joy helping others and expecting nothing in return, all whilst trying to find her own place in the world as she struggles to connect with people. It’s a story about overcoming anxieties and the power of togetherness.

It was a wonderful choice to have the exceedingly talented cast simultaneously be the orchestra. Alongside receiving financial support from the Cultural Recovery Fund (if they have even received it yet?), this is probably one of the things that enabled it to open. The out-of-place pop orchestrations from Broadway have fittingly been replaced by French folk-inspired ones too which was a huge improvement. It was such a joy to watch the actors move seamlessly between their characters and musician duties. I think it’s a really difficult art form but this company made it look like a piece of cake. The new puppetry is also a very welcome addition. I vaguely remember someone wearing a ridiculous fish hat on Broadway. This scene previously felt really gimmicky and I was thrilled I didn’t need to watch that again.

A highlight of the score is Amelie’s solo, ‘Times Are Hard For Dreamers’. Originally, this song came early in act one, but it now falls later in the second act in one of the show’s many reshuffles. It’s act one replacement ‘The Sound of Going Round In Circles’ was a fantastic addition, describing how the characters are all caught up in their repetitive lives. Amelie struggles to connect with other people, but she is constantly observing the world around her. So it felt like the perfect song to introduce her character. Audrey Brisson is an entrancing leading lady and I loved her charming portrayal of Amelie.

The whimsical set design that transports us to Paris was another highlight for me. Amelie’s little apartment is hidden away on a second level between arches, which she ascends to by hanging on to a lampshade (as seen in the trailer). It gave me Mary Poppins vibes, if I’m honest. It was clever the way pianos were utilised to make walkways, and the faint rumbling of the London Underground trains only adds to the charm of the lively Parisian streets they have created on stage. The new creative team have boldly reimagined this musical and given it a fresh new take.

With the distraction of the company of actor-musicians and the fluidity of scene transitions, you may not actually realise how utterly bland the story is. The plot is all over the place and by the end nothing much happens. It almost feels like a river that is going off in multiple different directions and you don’t know how to actually follow it in a concise way. But the transformation the show has undergone makes it far superior to the show that I saw on Broadway. There were far more enjoyable elements at play here which made up for the lack of an interesting plot.

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Have you seen Amelie? What are your thoughts on this production?