Originally a huge flop for Stephen Sondheim, bringing back this largely ignored show back after 58 years was a strange choice. Especially as it is the first staged Sondheim production to open in the UK since his passing last year. Anyone Can Whistle lasted only a mere twelve previews and nine performances on Broadway before shutting its curtains for good. It’s not really a surprise that it became one of the least revived Sondheim musicals ever… and after seeing it, it’s not difficult to understand why.
Sondheim is known for creating musicals that were incredibly daring and ahead of their time. Set in a small town, there is no showcase of patriotic American values. Instead, we are shown a town that is rife with political corruption and social repression. This show is weird. Let’s not sugar-coat the fact that the book is wildly nonsensical. I imagine this is a huge reason why the show was initially panned by both critics and theatregoers. The plot can sometimes feel a bit all over the place, but this production has really embraced the madness of it all and the result has been a really interesting piece of theatre.
So… what’s it about?
Cora Hoover Hooper, the town’s corrupt mayoress, comes up with a plan to create a ‘fake miracle’ alongside her evil cronies in order to bring tourism to the bankrupt town and cement her place in power. She is played by the absolutely riveting Alex Young who gives a standout comedic performance. Every minute she spent on stage was an absolute joy to watch. Along with Danny Lane, who plays her accomplice, Schub, the pair constantly have the audience in fits of laughter throughout.
When the sceptical Nurse Fay Apple (Chrystine Symone) brings her patients from a local mental asylum to the miracle, they escape and integrate themselves within the local community. In what is assumingly a commentary on mental health, no one can tell the patients apart from the local townspeople. The plot is completely absurd in parts. I felt like as the show went on, we could see Arthur Laurents’ book becoming more and more confusing, especially with the arrival of the mysterious stranger J. Bowden Hapgood (Jordan Broatch).
A gorgeous Sondheim score
I imagine many of us will probably know a couple of songs from this show. Despite it being a massive flop, the score has stood the test of time. A select few songs from the musical have become cabaret favourites over the years. It’s wonderful to finally be able to see these numbers in context. “Everybody Says Don’t” has always been one of my personal top tier Sondheim songs. Whilst “There Won’t Be Trumpets” was cut from the original production, it has been added back in. This choice may be down to the fact it is one of the more well known tracks from the musical.
Maybe this was just an issue during the preview I saw, but sometimes it felt like the five-piece band was drowning out the voices of the actors. It became very difficult during some parts to hear what was being said, which was a huge shame. Hopefully, this was fixed for later performances!
Costume and set designs
A huge flaw of this production for me was the costume designs. There was no overall theme or style, just a lot of clashing outfits that didn’t work together. I hate to say it, but it was actually quite distracting at times. There was absolutely no need for Hapgood’s outfit to be a swirl of bright neon orange and lime green. Don’t get me wrong, I would have enjoyed the burst of colour if it was easier on the eyes.
The layout for this show was a bold choice. Originally, I thought the cat-walk stage that sliced the room in half must be really restrictive. And at times, it did feel a bit tight when the entire cast were on stage. But this odd choice actually enhanced the show by making the audience feel included. There were quite a few moments of audience interaction that were very humorous.
Final thoughts
The show overall may come across as a bit of a convoluted mess, but it was delightful nonetheless. It’s a ridiculous show, absolutely. But there is a certain charm to it that was really entertaining. Long after I had left the Southwark Playhouse, I was still thinking about what I had just watched which definitely means it had an impact.
It’s most definitely not Sondheim’s best show, but I feel like it’s certainly mandatory viewing for any Sondheim fan if you can get there to see it. It’s also just a fun evening out at the theatre if you’re looking for a bit of chaos. Alex Young’s performance is worth the entire ticket price alone.
Don’t miss your chance to see this production of a rarely staged Sondheim show playing at the Southwark Playhouse until the 7th May only!
P.S. also a huge shoutout to whoever runs the Twitter account for this production. It has kept me entertained over the past few weeks. I would like to give five stars to the person behind their marketing!