Find out what critics have made of Jamie Lloyd’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical with LLLC’s review round up…
The Telegraph: ***** “This revelatory staging confirms that Lloyd Webber is re-gaining kudos.”
The Observer: **** “Lloyd’s Evita isn’t as high-emotion as some can be, but it’s a work of screaming fun, from the flares and ticker tape to the booty-shaking and the knicker-throwing.”
The Times: **** “The music is immaculately played, yet this often feels like a punk version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical. If you like your South American strongmen served up with gloss, glamour and romance, Jamie Lloyd’s frenetic revival is probably not for you. But if, in the past, you have winced at the simplistic, Demagogues for Dummies tone of the storyline, there are inventive distractions here.”
The Guardian: *** ” Pyrotechnics including confetti and coloured flares may give this Evita its entertainment factor and a sense of the grand, but it never quite has enough heart.”
Time Out: **** “This is Jamie Lloyd doing what Jamie Lloyd does best: taking something a bit lumpy and trad and thwacking it into fast, furious and fun shape. And it’s not just ‘for the yoof’ showboating: pick away at the surface and there’s as much philosophising happening as in a ‘serious’ production – more, probably. Verdict: he’s Jamie Lloyded ‘Evita’, and it’s great.”
Express: ** “An attempt to modernise Andrew Lloyd Webber’s great work throws away the glories of the past for no apparent reason, and has nothing new or interesting to offer in their place.”
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “It should come as no surprise that director Jamie Lloyd, who has made a name for himself with daring re-imaginings of classics such as his Olivier-nominated revivals of Piaf and the Scottish play, has gone to town with this production.”
WhatsOnStage: **** “Over and over again, this is a production that surprises, and nowhere more so than in its conception of the leading trio of characters, all played by actors imported from over the Atlantic. Pauly handles the big numbers with confidence, but the most interesting things about her performance are round the edges: the way she stands absolutely still as she tells Peron (Ektor Rivera, making the role more expressive and shaded than usual) that she would be surprisingly good for him; the wink she gives Che as she achieves her ambition; the look of sad recognition she bestows on Peron’s former mistress as she leaves. (Singing “Another Suitcase, Another Hall” – a song Frances Mayli McCann nails beautifully.)”
London Theatre1: *** “the production does a reasonable job of portraying this unique character with nuance and dignity.”
The Upcoming: *** “There are some great dancing moments: the whole ensemble cast is outstanding, offering passionate and flawless modern tango and aerobics. The production could have been lifted to another level by just spreading these moments more over the running time. For sure, there is a lot of colour, fireworks and a buzzing score, enough to enjoyably entertain.”
The Stage: **** “Perhaps the time has passed for an ambivalent depiction of Eva Peron, the antithesis of a diva with a heart of gold, and this is a revival that reflects the divided times in which we are living.”
Evita will play at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre until the 21st September. To book tickets click here or visit: Theatre Tickets Direct.co.uk, Love Theatre.com, Encore Tickets, See Tickets, From the Box Office or Last Minute.com.