When I went: 3 September 2015
Location: Savoy Theatre, London
Performers: Imelda Staunton (Mama Rose), Lara Pulver (Gypsy Rose Lee / Louise), Peter Davison (Herbie)
Creative team: Jonathan Kent (director), Nicholas Skilbeck (musical director), Arthur Laurents (book), Jule Styne (music), Stephen Sondheim (lyrics)
Approximate price: £90
Special points: Powerhouse numbers
Best bit: Some People
If I could change one thing: More consistent songs
Review:
The musical:
Gypsy is a famous, old-school, powerhouse musical boosted by Jule Styne’s strongest numbers (Some People, Rose’s Turn) and Stephen Sondheim’s to-the-point lyrics. There is however a bit of a second half dip both in terms of musical content and story.
This performance:
Imelda Staunton rightly attracted a lot of acclaim for her leading performance; I thought she was magnetic, to the point where you missed her in the rare moments where she was offstage. Lara Pulver gave a nuanced performance as Gypsy Rose Lee and Peter Davison was as likeable as ever as Herbie.
The average age of the audience for this show was pretty mature; it’s always interesting to observe which shows attract which audiences, and it does in my experience go hand in hand with the age of the lead actors or characters.
2 thoughts on “Gypsy … everything’s coming up Staunton”