We take a look at what is being said about this revival of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s musical, playing until the 31st October.
The Guardian: “It does develop an emotional pull as the plot speeds up and your sympathies lie with the man the town brands an impostor. There is a keen sense of Christian zeal about curses and demons, captured by Lizzi Gee’s choreography of a baying mob carrying weapons. The melodrama comes with the thunder and rumble of Fergus O’Hare’s sound design and blasts of sharply contrasting lighting, designed by Hugh Vanstone, Luca Panetta and Toby Ison.”
London Theatre.co.uk: “With a minimal set – a long table for a banquet scene and the customary waving flags to signify war – and a genuinely stunning lighting design from Hugh Vanstone, Luca Panetta and Toby Ison, Warchus expresses deep feeling through the simplest of theatrical means. Martin Guerre might not be the defining achievement of his tenure, but it’s more than enough to make for a fond farewell.”
All That Dazzles: “Martin Guerre has been plagued with problems for thirty years, and it would be asking too much for this production to right every wrong to create the perfect iteration of the story. However, it has made some great strides there. The continuous rewriting has left a story that is slightly confusing and incohesive at times, but the messy nature actually adds to its charm. Opting for a comparatively short run at the Old Vic in a semi-staged production suggests that the creative team are using this as an opportunity to develop the story further, and I have no doubt that with the most minor of tweaks, they can take the story to the next level.”
London Theatre Reviews.co.uk: “Ultimately, this is a respectable, well-intentioned production that struggles with its material. Perhaps some old musicals are best left where they are.”
The Reviews Hub: “Lizzi Gee’s choreography, folksy foot-stomping and faux village dance, delivers the goods. Warchus is great at marshalling his ensemble and using the space. The piece, however, reallyy only sparks into life in the chemistry-rich duets between Andrusier’s gutsy Bertrande and O’Riordan’s sympathetic, honey-voiced Martin.”
Time Out: “There are soaring solo melodies, contrapuntal chorus numbers, a sense of a score always bursting at its seams, but only a couple of numbers stand out – the title song and a swelling new anthem called ‘Someday’ – and the result is a restless musical about identity that can never quite find its own.”
WhatsOnStage: “While one might wish the production leaned even further into the grim consequences of a community gripped by paranoia and fear of outsiders (as well as, perhaps, explicitly explaining the religious isolation of this community, and why it makes them so fearful of strangers), this trimmed-down revival makes a compelling case for a long-misunderstood work.”
The Stage: “Reworked musical features fine ensemble vocals but never quite reaches the emotional depths you hope for.”
Theatre & Tonic: “Matthew Warchus‘s direction is, as one might expect from an Old Vic production, deeply immersed in the storytelling and its intricacies, bringing a fresh perspective to the material. Performed in the round on a minimal set, the production makes impressive use of its intimate staging, demonstrating that theatrical impact needn’t rely on elaborate scenery or spectacle. Instead, the focus remains firmly on the performers, the music and the emotional weight of the story, resulting in a remarkably affecting piece of theatre.”
The Standard: “Warchus’s direction, and Rob Howell’s basic design of a circle of benches strewn with red chaff, are succinct and effective. The lighting and the band are crisp. But my god it’s over the top. Everyone here sings with a tremulous, volcanic passion, but on the bus home I realised I was humming the signature number “Martin Guerre” to the “Go Compare” ad jingle.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/stage/martin-guerre