Brilliantly hilarious as always, this lively revival should be seen on a larger stage.
If I had to pick a musical that will always guarantee to put a smile on my face it would be The Producers. A love letter to the theatre and of course just a little bit silly, the musical still feels as fresh as ever thanks to Patrick Marber’s engaging and lively production that delights from start to finish.
Written by Mel Brooks (who says that the character Max is based on a producer that he once met – hence the idea of The Producers came about) and Thomas Meehan, the story follows Max and Leo, who hit on the idea that if they came up with a Broadway musical flop they would make more money. What follows is their extraordinary attempts to do this with the help of some madcap characters.
Staged in the intimate Menier Chocolate Factory Theatre, Patrick Marber’s production is filled with ambition which is incredible considering the size of the stage and everything works well – even if there are some moments in the script that feel lacking the sharp bite of the original. There is plenty of Easter egg moments that theatre fans will enjoy – including the Fiddler on the Roof inspired routine to ‘The King of Old Broadway’, with hints of The King & I’s ‘Shall We Dance’ in one of the numbers for example. But even if you aren’t familiar with the references there is plenty to be enjoyed here, thanks to Brooks and Meehan’s gleeful and book, combined with some brilliant songs from Brooks.
Marber utilises the space of the Menier superbly well, allowing the cast to surround the audience making it feel very immersive throughout – which comes across particularly well during a number of sequences including the brilliant opening number ‘It’s Opening Night’. It is also clear that Marber wanted to stay true to Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan’s original material but upping the comedy levels to an additional level – which particularly works for sequences for ‘Springtime to Hitler’ – but in other moments such as ‘Keep it Gay’ can tend to go a little bit too far energy wise.
Credit should also go to Lorrin Latrro’s wonderfully fun and joyful choreography that enhances the musical numbers really well as well as enhancing the comical lyrics – the two blend together harmoniously. Just look out for the routine for ‘Der Guten Tag Hop -Clop’ – which is a real highlight.
The performances are all spot on. Andy Nyman is delightful as Max – the somewhat disillusioned producer who would do anything to get back up on top again, enhancing a slightly cynical and bitter side that feels more prominent than in previous versions of the show before. I particularly enjoyed his rendition of the high energised and comical rendition of ‘Betrayed’
He is well matched by Marc Antolin’s sweetly naïve performance as Leo really blossoms as the show goes on as the character grows in confidence – it is hard not to be charmed by the performance.
Harry Morrison thoroughly delights as Franz – hitting all the right comical notes in all the right places during his performance, while Joanna Woodward as Ulla is plenty of fun as well, delivering a powerhouse performance of ‘ When You’ve Got it Flaunt it’ that long stays in the memory. Trevor Ashley is over the top fantastic as Roger De Bri – throughly embracing the character.
Overall, this version of The Producers is a delight from start to finish and proves that we absolutely need a production of it back in the West End.
By Emma Clarendon
The Producers continues to play at the Menier Chocolate Factory until the 1st March 2025.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐