Find out what is being said about this revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical with our review round up.
Broadway World: *** “The aim of the musical at this specific point in time is fairly ambiguous, but White’s production is surprisingly tasteful. He honours tradition with creativity and tact, maintaining a steady grip on the tone of his concept and delivering it with sensitivity and charm. All in all, this is probably the best way one could stage the material these days.”
The Guardian: **** “It is thrilling to see this lesser-performed Sondheim piece staged with such zest and imagination. It’s one of the most original and ebullient musicals in town.”
WhatsOnStage: *** “There is much to admire as the pace accelerates as the evening progresses, and the humour and the sadness both become more intense. Yet the power of Sondheim’s lyrics is sometimes swallowed by a sound balance that prefers the oomph of Paul Bogaev’s lively orchestra, and the singing deliberately ignores the more lyrical wonders of the score.”
Evening Standard: **** “This is the first revival of Sondheim’s singular, peculiar musical since his death in 2021 and it is a wonderful, bijou surprise.”
The Telegraph: *** “Set in the second half of the 19th century, this 1976 work is one for Sondheim fans, the Menier devoted and the intellectually curious.”
London Theatre.co.uk: **** “Matthew White’s production, which was previously performed in Tokyo in Japanese, is visually ravishing and a superb example of staging an epic story in an intimate space. Initially museum visitors listen to their audio guides and pose for selfies before the traverse stage opens up.”
Time Out.com: **** “The show treads the line between exaggeration and seriousness pretty nimbly. The pared-down book brings into focus the tragedy of friends Kayama and Manjiro, whose differing reactions to the infiltration of Western customs tears them violently apart. And just as the score is finely textured, there is real beauty in this production’s moments of painterly minimalism.”
The Stage: *** “Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s rarely revived musical has a fragmented brilliance and beauty.”
Theatre Weekly: “It is surprising that Pacific Overtures isn’t more well-known or as often produced, because it’s a captivating story with a really gorgeous score, ‘Someone in a Tree’ and ‘There is No Other Way’ are particular highlights. This revised version, despite being so successful in Japan, does seem to be missing something though, and that might not help this musical to eventually reach the prominence of other Sondheim works.”
British Theatre Guide.com: “This is a lovely score and a strong cast delivers with conviction in every action, whether a fisherman casting a net or in slow-motion sword fight. Pacific Overtures plays for an hour and 45 minutes with no interval but holds every minute.”
Pacific Overtures continues to play at the Menier Chocolate Factory until the 24th February 2024. You can catch up with our interview with cast member Kanako Nakano here.