Review Theatre: A Tale of Two Cities | Upstairs at the Gatehouse | Grease

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The Review - THEATRE by SARAH NOWAKOWSKA
Published: 2 October 2008

A musical trip through two cities that goes like the Dickens

A TALE OF TWO CITIES
Upstairs at the Gatehouse

THE light is dim, a sallow glow weighing on the stage set as though immersed in a nightly mist. The London premiere of the new musical based on the novel by Charles Dickens plunges you straight into an eerie atmosphere of impending doom.
Set amid the turmoil of the French Revolution, this enduring classic follows the fortunes of a group of vengeful rebels intent on bringing the aristocracy down, and in their wake a story of love, revenge and sacrifice unfolds.
The antique look of the Gatehouse’s set adds to the tension hovering in the air as the music grows more intense, and soon a flurry of actors are waltzing in and out of sight, singing their hearts out in impressive synchronised fashion.
Paul Nicholas, whose theatrical success began in 1969 in productions and lead roles in Grease and Jesus Christ Superstar, holds the directing reins in this latest adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities and introduces a cast of passionate actors intent on filling their songs with enough emotion to make you quiver.
The closeness of the set to the audience also makes for relentless waves of intensity, as Sydney Carton, played effortlessly by London stage first timer Tim Benton, takes a step closer to belt out “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...” – the novel’s famous first lines.
As the actors stand in line singing and looking straight at the audience, suddenly the small set has the advantage of creating an emotionally filled ambiance and one is left to wonder how much more
powerful the renditions would be given a bigger stage.
This latest adaptation of Dickens’s classic manages to transform an intense story into musical escapism with a cast that sizzles with emotions and conviction.
Until November 2
020 8340 3488

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