Music Theatre presents Merrily We Roll Along
By George Furth and Stephen Sondheim
Directed by Lindsey Fransman and Lily Melhuish
Produced by Anya Dye and Liv Winter
Riley Smith Hall, 8th-11th March
As the show opened, I was transported into 1976, tapping my feet along the way to the energetically sung “Merrily We Roll Along”. The cast dressed to impress with swanky colourful outfits and convincingly portrayed LA bigshots that were “Rich and Happy.” Partying at Franklin Shepherd (Jake Pople)’s plush pad, the cast made it easy for me to forget that I was sat in the Riley Smith Hall. Though I was confused initially, the scene became clear when best friend turned nuisance, Mary Flynn (Anna Carley) made an appearance. I thought that Carley’s slurred speech and unbalanced physicalisation convincingly communicated the embarrassing life of a washed-up writer. She drunkenly spewed out unsavoury judgements of Frank’s superficial lifestyle and balanced these with witty remarks, turning the scene into scandal.
The scenes were well transitioned with sustained and upbeat singing from the cast who brought us back into 1974. At this point I began to gather a clearer understanding of who Mary was as the pace of the scene slowed, with “Old Friends – Like It Was”. I felt the lengthy song lost my attention, although this was quickly recovered by the introduction of Charley Kringas (Yang Chen), the third member of the trio of friends. Chen restored momentum in the scene with his enthusiastically ranted rendition of “Franklin Shepherd Inc.”, supported well with aptly timed comedic moments courtesy of Sophie Strickland-Clark’s KT, that added texture to the scene.
Moving back in time again to 1968, while learning of Frank’s affair with married Gussie Carnegie (Katherine Reynolds), we were also made aware of Mary’s unrequited love for Frank. Gussie stole the show and Frank from his friends when she sang in duet “Growing Up”. Reynolds communicated the part of the temptress incredibly well and her voice was equally captivating. I felt that she sustained her performance throughout the entirety of the show and held my attention until the end of the first act.
Upholding the energy of the previous act, Gussie opened the second act and kept me fascinated, singing as the star of Broadway show, Musical Husbands. I found the comradery between Mary, Frank and Charley more convincing in this scene and their enthusiasm carried this when they discovered they had made “A Hit”. Moving swiftly backwards in time to 1960, Beth, Franklin’s first wife, became a more focal part of my interest. I thought her portrayal of Beth was compelling and on-stage chemistry between her and Frank conveyed the young couple in love. Pople was strongest here in his portrayal of Frank. There was a noticeable difference between the arrogant demeanour in the first act, and the humble musician at this point in the play. Similarly, as the plot approached the beginning of its timeline and the end of the play, I found Mary, Charley and Frank most engaging. This was as their budding friendship and careers communicated the innocence and optimism of youth, which was especially poignant, having already witnessed the demise of their relationship at the start.
Despite wavering accents, I thought directors Lindsey Fransman and Lily Melhuish’s production was enjoyable and light hearted. The cast and band combined produced catchy and well performed numbers, which kept me entertained throughout. However, the highlight for me was Reynolds alluring performance as Gussie, and it is this that will surely be the most memorable part of the show.
Annie Butcher
The Scribe Review 