From the talented minds of the two busiest composers in cinematic history, Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a staple Disney classic from the seventies. This new stage production still harnesses the brilliance of the film and injects a smouldering cauldron-full of new material, from songs to narrative.
The story begins at the height of the blitz. Bombs are raining down on London as three children hunker down in their bedroom. The bedroom is a small, warmly lit haven surrounded by a vast void as the show opens. The Luftwaffe (albeit never explicitly named as such) drop another bomb and the bedroom shatters across the stage. The cast storm on, and in a whirlwind of tightly choreographed movement the children are whisked away to the safety of the countryside; And thus begins our adventure filled with magic, anthropomorphism, and a whole lot of heart.
This stellar, multi-talented cast is led by Dianne Pilkington as Miss Eglantine Price, Charles Brunton as Emelius Browne, and Conor O’Hara as Charlie Rawlins. O’Hara brings a naivety to the 13-year-old character and harnesses the fear and forced adulthood that a child of the time had. A brilliantly embodied performance for his professional debut.
Brunton’s energy throughout the show is simply unmatched; This man has stamina and never drops a beat. His opening number ‘Emelius the Great’ is a flurry of magical tropes and props-galore, yet he commands the stage with the presence of a showman.
Dianne Pilkington is just perfect as Miss Eglantine Price, played in the film by the insatiable Dame Angela Lansbury. To draw parallels between the two would do a disservice to both, as Pilkington makes the character her own and runs with it. Wrapped in a gorgeous caped dress, she floats across the stage both metaphorically and literally. Pilkington strikes the balance in her singing of delicate elegance and vociferous, full-bodied belt. Just brilliant.
The ensemble cast have their work cut out in this show; constantly performing, puppeteering, set-moving, and even lighting. A hat-tip to the entire company for their brilliant performances on what must be an exhausting show. Mark Anderson, Matthew Elliot-Campbell, Rob Madge, and Emma Thornett deserve a special mention for helping bring their puppet character to life through voice and movement. This, of course, would not be possible without an entire company of strong performers bringing breathing life into this magical world.
The illusions in Bedknobs and Broomsticks come from the mystical mind behind Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Director/Set and Illusions designer, Jamie Harrison. His work to bring Hollywood magic onto the stage and into the 21st century pays off. The flying bed, a flying broomstick ridden by Pilkington, puppets becoming humans… the list goes on. Whilst the bigger illusions were truly spellbinding, some of the simpler magic tricks like linking rings and the handkerchief work felt a little sloppy.
Candice Edmunds is at the helm as director and utilises the cast well. Reflecting the openness and transparency in scene changes and puppeteering, Edmunds has honed in on the raw emotions of our lead characters. Fear, love, wonder; These are all presented organically in the performances and is a testament to the performers, the direction, and Brian Hill’s book. Neil Bartram has added new songs and lyrics to the Sherman Brother’s soundtrack. These songs capture the essence of the originals and sit well within the story. However, with such a music-heavy show I pined for more unaccompanied text. On top of this, a few of the numbers somewhat outstay their welcome and could benefit from some fine-tuning and cutting. Nonetheless, the fourteen strong orchestra filled the auditorium and serve as a timely reminder that theatre shows need a full orchestral accompaniment. The performances are honest, the ensemble are strong, and whilst we get more character development in this production than in the original film, I was left wanting something more: more moments of sparkle, a pace increase after the interval rather than just “bobbing along”, and one or two more flourishes. Overall, however, this is a production filled to the brim with warmth and heart, set in a time where these things felt hard to come by. It is well-needed escapism both for the characters and us as an audience.
Review by Max Topliss
Rating: ★★★★
Seat: D33 | Price of Ticket: £45.47 (Under 25s) / £53.50 (Full price)
