How did I end up being one of the only musical theatre fans to have never seen Phantom on stage? It’s not like it’s been running since before I was born or anything. But don’t panic, I have finally checked it off my list!

Despite wanting to see it for a while, there was no urgency knowing it wasn’t likely to close anytime soon. Having seen the movie and concert, I felt content enough for the time being. But I can now sleep well having finally seen the infamous chandelier fall.

Closing for good?

Phantom fans had a bit of a scare last year when it was announced the pandemic had closed the show for good. Confusion then ensued as Andrew Lloyd Webber insisted this, in fact, wasn’t true. It has now come back as a reworked version with an absolutely stellar cast.

Unless you are a diehard ‘phan’ then you most likely won’t notice anything out of the ordinary. I certainly have no idea what changes were made and therefore can’t comment. However, I was saddened to hear that the orchestra had been depleted of its original numbers. It’s now half of what it once was. Even so, hearing the overture as the chandelier ascends to the rafters still sends shivers down the spine.

The plot

Most people probably know the plot, but let’s go over it anyway. In short, the story is based on Gaston Leroux’s 19th century novel by the same name in which a masked, disfigured man ‘haunts’ a Parisian opera house. He gains an obsession for a young chorus girl by the name of Christine, who he vocally mentors without disclosing his identity (I know right, creepy). When he finds out Christine has heart eyes for her childhood friend, Raoul, who has recently come back into her life, he becomes jealous and lures her into his hideaway in the watery depths underneath the opera house.

Just when you think that’s as weird as the show is going to get, he later coerces a terrified theatre company into performing his new opera with his protégé, Christine, as the lead. Maybe not the most effective way to maintain a career in the arts. I really don’t know how to explain what happens in this plot without it sounding completely ridiculous. Quite honestly, I just enjoy the dramatics of it all.

The cast

The new casting is probably the thing that finally got me off my backside to see this show. It was wonderful to see Killian Donnelly wearing the famous mask. He absolutely nails this challenging score and creates an unsettling presence on stage as the Phantom. Having only previously seen him in Memphis and Kinky Boots, this was a definite switch up from what I’m used to seeing him do. He continues to prove that he is a true talent of the stage.

I last saw Lucy St. Louis belting ‘Sal Tlay Ka Siti’ in Book of Mormon, so it was glorious to hear a very different side to her vocal abilities. Her high notes were both soaring and delicate, capturing the innocence of Christine perfectly. Rhys Whitfield was a dashing Raoul who not only stole Christine’s heart, but also mine. Yes, that was cheesy but I regret none of that sentence. He made the character very likeable and had beautiful, rich vocals that truly warmed the soul. Other standout performances for me were Adam Linstead and Matt Harrop who gave hilarious performances as the slightly incompetent theatre managers.

What moments were a highlight?

‘Masquerade’ was absolutely breathtaking. The act two opener was actually one of the scenes I was most looking forward to see and it didn’t disappoint. It was definitely one of the more memorable moments in the show, and it was delightful seeing the entire company come together to pull this off.

The rising and falling of the chandelier is an obvious highlight. The chills you get when the organ plays that famous riff at the top of the show is incomparable. The screams you hear when it falls (specifically from my mam sitting right next to me) was definitely the reaction I’m sure the creatives want to hear from their audience too. This last thing is very specific, but I also enjoyed the Phantom just being overly dramatic for absolutely no reason.

On a controversial note…

Before I end this post, I do want to address the main reason I kept putting it off. Let’s flashback to 2015 when a certain sex offender (*cough* James Barbour) was cast in the Broadway production. There was a lot of backlash and threats to boycott the show that the producers ignored. They instead chose to stand by the actor in question. They put a man, who had previously abused his position of power, back into that position of power.

He played the Phantom for three years. This whole situation really left a sour taste in my mouth. At the time I didn’t want to support the production in any shape or form. If you don’t already know the controversy, then take a read of OnStage Blog’s article on it. A quick Google search will also give you details of the case.

This is just a personal thing, but I also never enjoyed the marketing surrounding the show either. They have frequently advertised it as a love story between the Phantom and Christine, which feels wrong. If we look at the story from Christine’s perspective, it’s about a man kidnapping her, revealing his plans to marry her, and then trying to murder her childhood friend and current lover. This really does not sound like a love story to me. Of course, the Phantom is a sympathetic character. But we can feel sorry for a character being mistreated by the society he lives in whilst also recognising what he’s doing is wrong.

Final thoughts

Honestly, I enjoyed this show more than I thought I would. As I said above, I have held only bitter thoughts about it for the past few years. But the show itself is very enjoyable. It’s easy to understand how this show has continued to entertain audiences for so long. It’s a piece of theatre that is both entertaining and a spectacle.

Sometimes, I’m not sure whether some of these more serious moments were meant to be as comical as I found them? But for me, that ended up being part of the enjoyment. I’m already thinking that I may need to see this one again. I very much enjoyed the current cast and would really love to go back. Maybe even try to catch the alternate Christine, Holly-Anne Hull just to switch things up a bit.

Have you seen Phantom? Let me know what you think of the show in the comments below!