REVIEW: Side By Side By Sondheim, Brockley Jack Theatre ✭✭✭

Side by Side by Sondheim

Brockley Jack Theatre

12th September

3 Stars

You can’t go wrong with Sondheim. One of the greatest musical theatre artists of all time, it would take a particularly incompetent director to butcher a revue of his work. Fortunately, Side by Side by Sondheim is a well staged and lively production, very much worth the price of admission.

The original version was staged in 1976 and so does not feature much of Sondheim’s later work, which jars somewhat with an updated 21st century script (there were references to the Lib Dems and the Chilcott Enquiry). However, this still leaves a wonderful body of work, although the distribution of songs is a bit unusual; why seven songs for the admittedly excellent Company whilst West Side Story only gets one? The songs are organized thematically; the first half mainly concerns Sondheim’s take on marriage and relationships, whilst the second half features some of his collaborations with other writers.

There’s a strong mix of songs, with familiar classics as well as lesser known nuggets; Pretty Lady from Pacific Overtures was totally unknown to me and yet the excellent harmonies provided one of the best performances of the night.

The staging is simple but still effective, with a stage mainly bare but for a few chairs. The venue is tight and intimate and the cast performed without microphones; it was like having a (very talented) sing-song hosted in your living room. The cast is backed by two fantastic piano players, although on some of the bigger numbers you are left longing for a more substantial band.

The show is narrated by the musical director Stuart Pedlar, who has worked as MD on a number of Sondheim productions. He was not the most natural narrator but was thoroughly charming and pulled it off with aplomb and good humour. Offie-nominated Anthony Whiteman choreographed the numbers well, especially a high-octane final number.

Marianne Benedict is very much a stand-out performer amongst a very strong cast of three. As well as being visually arresting and eye-catching, she has a remarkable capacity to hit a high note and a vivacious stage presence. She showed her considerable vocal talents during her time on stage, notably during Another Hundred People from Company, A Boy Like That from West Side Story and Losing My Mind from Follies. She also put in a fun turn as a terrifying showgirl in You Gotta Get a Gimmick from Gyspy.

Sarah Redmond deserves a lot of credit for being on stage in the first place; she joined the production very late in the day after Su Pollard withdrew very recently. She is a brilliant character actress, providing most of the evening’s comic moments, especially as the jittery bride in Company’s Not Getting Married Today. She also did well to master the tongue-twisting complexity of The Boy From, taken from The Mad Show. Having said that, her version of Send in the Clowns was well acted but vocally a bit low key for my tastes.

Completing the trio was Grant McConvey, a relative newcomer. He seemed a little reticent at first, giving the impression he was holding something back. However, he soon got into the swing of it, giving mature renditions of Being Alive from Company and Could I Leave You from Follies. McConvey is a natural actor and put in a creditable performance for his first major stage appearance.

Side by Side by Sondheim benefits from some superb material and a rock solid cast. It’s a warm and friendly production, perfect for a gloomy September night.

Side By Side By Sondheim runs at the Brockley Jack Theatre until 26 September 2015