Nica Burns’ new pride and joy, the first West End theatre to open in fifty years, has become a temporary home to a heart-warming new play based on the life of Neil Baldwin. It was a marvellous selection (forgive me, I couldn’t resist), but also a bold choice, to open the theatre with a new play.
What’s it about?
Co-written by the man himself, the play follows the life of Neil growing up in the 1950s and finishes in the present day. Being diagnosed with learning difficulties as a child, Neil has refused to be told there is anything he can’t do. He’s a man who has lived life to the fullest, and is somewhat of a local legend in his hometown of Stoke-Upon-Trent.
From the moment Michael Hugo, who plays the ‘Real Neil’, steps out of the audience he absolutely captivates everyone in the room with his impeccable comedic timing. We were also lucky enough to be graced with the presence of the actual real Neil Baldwin that evening who was in the audience watching the show. I have heard that he often comes out to see it!
It’s an inspiring story presented in such a charming way, unashamedly using slapstick comedy and interacting with the audience in a very informal way throughout. Whilst the play is mostly fun and games with many hilarious chaotic moments, it does touch on a darker side of Neil’s life by exploring the bullying and grief he has endured. One scene in particular asks the audience where the line is between laughing with someone and laughing at someone.
The cast and creatives
The cast as a whole are absolutely wonderful, I could not fault a single one of them. Aside from Michael Hugo in the lead role, the rest of the cast portray a plethora of different characters. Whilst they’re all incredible, I have to give a shoutout to Suzanne Ahmet for giving a standout performance as Neil’s mum.
Direction by Theresa Heskins, and movement direction from Beverley Norris-Edmunds, fills the entire space of the new @sohoplace stage in such an animated way. The energy is infectious and you can’t help but feel elated by the end.
And the new theatre?
Okay, so this theatre might not be everyone’s cup of tea. For people who love a classic, traditional theatre and aren’t impressed with more modern architecture, this may not be your favourite venue. But @sohoplace brings a completely unique space to London’s West End and that is enormously exciting.
From the outside, it looks like your standard office building. But inside is a beautiful space that has so much to offer. My favourite part is that if you look up there are little lights twinkling in the shape of constellations everywhere you look. It’s gorgeous! There’s also a restaurant inside the building on the ground floor called ‘Stars’ which is open to the general public. I didn’t eat there this time, but maybe in the future!
The auditorium is a very intimate, entirely adaptable space that can seat around 600 people. It’s exciting that we now have a West End theatre designed specifically to accommodate in-the-round productions, which is the layout the first three shows making a home in this theatre are choosing to use. The chairs are comfortable, there’s tons of leg room, and it’s designed to make sure no one has a restricted view. You can tell a lot of thought has gone into designing the building and also making sure that the space is accessible for everyone.Nica Burns and her team should be really proud of this new addition to the theatre scene.
Final thoughts…
Marvellous radiates absolute joy from the very beginning right to the end, which is exactly what Neil Baldwin himself has tried to do throughout his life. In the play, they discuss how true happiness is making other people happy, and this is exactly what this play strives to do. You can tell the cast are having the time of their lives on the stage, and their joy resonates through the entire audience.
If you haven’t grabbed your tickets yet, you most definitely should! Marvellous is playing at @sohoplace up until the 26th November.
Have you been to the new theatre yet? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!