Closer To Heaven
Above The Stag Theatre, 3rd July - 31st Aug 2019
I should probably state from the outset that I am a lifelong Pet Shop Boys fan, their sophisticated electro pop having provided the soundtrack to my life…. and continues to do so, with their last offering, 2016’s Super, showing that Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have lost none of their charm, wit and currency as purveyors of the perfect pop song since West End Girls made it to number one in 1985. Whilst they have proved time and time again their mastery not only of the perfect pop song but also of the art of the music video, as well as the always imaginative live shows, their early forays beyond the parameters of pop never quite achieved the same status. Their 1988 feature film It Couldn’t Happen Here had little impact outside of being a curio for the faithful, and the 2001 premiere of their first stage musical Closer To Heaven also opened to mixed reviews. Yet, quite rightly they refuse to creatively restrict themselves, and this year messrs Tennant and Lowe reunite with Jonathan Harvey to present Musik at this years Edinburgh Fringe, featuring Frances Barber reprising her role as Billie Trix. Perfect timing then for this Above The Stag Theatre revival of the production that brought her to the publics attention in the first place.
Having seen the original production at The Arts Theatre in 2001, I have to confess that even as a much younger theatre going novice, the book’s construction always felt a bit inconsequential. The concept was good enough, setting the action in a nightclub where, like a modern day Cabaret, music would have been the natural heartbeat of the setting, in theory allowing for the Pet Shop Boys songs to bed-in a little more comfortably as part of the drama. This was never quite successfully realised in the original, the narrative interludes only managing to build precariously thin dramatic bridges to get from one song to the next. Unfortunately this also remains true of this latest revival, plot and character still playing second fiddle to the music, as is made apparent early on as Shell (played by Maddy Banks) is reunited with her long lost father, club owner Vic Christian, (Christopher Howell) who, whilst clearly having abandoned her for many years, gets a reaction on their reunion no different from one had he just returned from a trip to the shops. Only later does she finally show any real emotion towards him as a result of his questioning the sexuality of her new boyfriend Straight Dave (Blake Patrick Anderson).
These subtleties in drama might not be what musical theatre is best known for, and director Steven Dexter is clearly pitching the production towards being a mainly entertaining spectacle, but the script is crying out for something more than just this bare minimum approach to character development. Minimalism might be what the Pet Shop Boys have used to great effect to package their music career, but in trying to craft a legitimate piece of musical theatre there is just too much detail being allowed to slip by the wayside. All of which is a bit of a shame given the undoubted quality of the assembled cast.
Blake Patrick Anderson is perfectly cast as the wide eyed innocent pop wannabe Straight Dave and does just about as much as he can with the material. Ian Hallard, (previously seen in Boys In The Band and Tumulus) also produces what is arguably the best performance of the night as machiavellian music impresario Bob Saunders, bringing the stage to life with his unfortunately all too brief appearances. Unfortunately for Adéle Anderson, it was Frances Barber’s portrayal of Billie Trix that was the stand out performance of the original, and in comparison there’s an aloofness to Anderson’s performance that doesn’t leave much in the way of an emotional connect with the character, felt most notably during her rendition of Friendly Fire. That being said, for many Anderson will of course be their first Billie Trix, and her rendition of this poignant song did receive a round of applause.
As a first foray into musical theatre, Tennant, Lowe and Harvey tend to stumble most on the more linear narrative set pieces, but this production comes to life during the less linear moments, where multiple character storylines are imaginatively played out on stage simultaneously, a highlight being during the song Vampires, and Shell’s discovery that Straight Dave might not be quite as straight after all from what she see’s on the clubs CCTV camera’s. These moments also really show off David Shields impressive set design. Sadly, for all the engaging effect the set and Jack Weirs lighting achieve in transporting us to the hedonistic, drug fuelled underbelly of Soho’s nightlife, the biggest barrier to feeling totally immersed in this world was unfortunately the sound. Whilst the club beats of the electro pop soundtrack fell shy of being quite loud enough to really draw the audience in, the miniature head-mics rendered the casts impressive vocals to little more than the quality of a cheap transistor radio, completely at odds with the rich dynamic of the musical accompaniment, Straight Dave’s voice being all but lost for his opening solo number, and the vocals only reaching the same dynamic range as the accompanying music on the rare occasion a handheld mic was used, as on It’s Just My Little Tribute To Caligula, Darling. This may read like the musings of a techno nerd, but when a production only has its soundtrack to rely on, the disconnect these paper thin rendered vocals brought to the show shouldn't be underestimated.
Comparisons between productions can often be unfair, but I had genuinely been excited for this revival, having always felt there was a better version yet to be realised. Unfortunately, like the original, this production also never quite managed to live up to the sum of it’s parts, but certainly made for an entertaining slice of nostalgia. Never been closer to heaven… never been further away.
★★★
