RUE MAGIQUE. To 7 December 2008.
RUE MAGIQUE
book by Lisa Forrell music & lyrics by Brett Kahr.
King’s Head Theatre, 115 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 To 7 December 2008.
Tue to Sat 7:30pm. Matinee Sat & Sun 3:30pm.
Runs 2hr 15min One interval.
TICKETS: 0870 890 0149.
www.kingsheadtheatre.org
Review: Geoff Ambler 30 October 2008.
Shock and whore musical takes over at the Kings Head.
It’s an uneasy subject and unusual subject matter to sing about but Rue Magique uses its artistic license to tell the tale of Sugar, thirteen year old unwilling prostitute and daughter of brothel Madame Desdemona. Mixing edgy shock and whore themes with ribald musical humour, Lisa Forrell provokes some guilty laughter amongst all the trauma but Rue Magique contains enough drama and story to keep attention focussed on a seriously skewed mother/daughter relationship.
Melanie La Barrie is Desdemona, whose steely grip on her tiny fiefdom is maintained through dominating her women and the customers, men they call Vipers. La Barrie easily switches between dominatrix and demanding child, demonstrating Desdemona’s efforts to absolve herself of her prodigious failings through keeping a clinically clean, tidy house and not tolerating bad language.
She mixes these standards with selling her daughter’s already-damaged innocence to an aggressive Viper, who likes the fresh stock without a second thought. Disturbing, but compelling, while hope for Sugar’s future appears with Terel Nugent’s Rem; local shop worker, kick boxer and all-round good guy who provides friendship without payment and whose fantastic vocals, in some sugary duets, soar.
La Barrie’s Desdemona is magnificent; all corset, heels and sneer, and always a powerful presence on stage. With Nadia Di Mambro as Sugar the examination of the damaged mother and daughter continues to shock throughout. Their act one closing duet ‘You Belong To Me/My Body Is My Own’ is particularly powerful and a turning point in both of their lives.
It is Rue Magique’s portrayal of the Vipers that seems at odds with the life of vices, sex, drugs and violence dominating these women’s world. At times they are older men after very young girls and then ‘The Vipers Tale’ explores why men pay for sex;,it’s an hilarious number that surely must be from another show. It doesn’t detract from the story, just mixes the message.
Rue Magique is a surprising, shocking, funny and powerful piece of musical theatre with some fine performances. While laughter rarely sits alongside this subject matter, La Barrie still delivers a performance that shouldn’t be missed.
Viper 2/Mr Smith: Gavin Ashbarry.
Viper 3/Ralph: Adam Bayjou.
Sugar: Nadia Di Mambro.
Cardboard/Viper 1/Shorty: Julian Forsyth.
Desdemona: Melanie La Barrie.
Sonia: Amanda Minihan.
Rem: Terel Nugent.
Latrice: Amanda Posener.
Rani: Anna Stolli.
Director: Lisa Forrell.
Designer: Polly Sullivan.
Lighting: Tim Mascall.
Musical Director: Andy Massey.
Choreographer: Damian Jackson.
Costume: Natasha Ward.
2008-11-03 03:09:21