Frank’s Closet
The Union Theatre • 6 Mar - 30 Mar
There are some incredible secrets to be discovered hidden deep inside the many railway arches that spread out across London. From shops and gyms to coffee roasters and micro breweries, the appearance of which are very much a reflection of the changing face of London itself over the last few decades. Amongst the +7,000 business’s that occupy these spaces there can be found a number of incredible fringe theatres, one of which being the Union Theatre in Southwark, where a new production of ‘the cult hit musical’ Frank’s Closet, written and composed by Stuart Wood, has just opened.
I arrived to find the audience already being entertained in the theatres bar ahead of, (or should I say, as part of) the show, by the drag ‘guiding spirit’ of Frank’s Closet, Shiela Blige, (say the name a few times if the pun has just gone right over your head). Blige (Paul Toulson), manages to set the tone for the night ahead right from the start with some bawdy banter and a good old-fashioned music-hall style singalong. With lyrics like “Oh I do love a bit of Dickens in the morning!”, the needle on the camp-o-meter was already well into the red as we proceeded to take our seats inside Frank’s Closet! (There’s a sentence I never thought I’d find myself writing!)
Once in the theatre I’m immediately struck by Catherine Phelps impressive set design, reminiscent of a swanky, yet highly stylised cabaret venue complete with a few audience tables at the side. This is a nice ambience-improving touch, with the rest of the design putting me in mind of the retro kitsch aesthetic of mid-nineties, late night Channel Four show Eurotrash… so much so in fact that I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if Jean-Paul Gaultier and Antoine de Caunes themselves appeared from behind the curtains to descend the stairs… yes, there are stairs, but sadly no Gaultier and Caunes. (If you’re already finding these references a bit out of date, then my advice is to buckle-up kids because Frank’s Closet is about to take you much further back in time!) Phelps cites ‘Pollocks Toy Theatre’ and the style of pop-up books as her inspiration, and this is certainly a very successful debut given it’s her first foray into set design, and provides Ben Bull with a fantastic backdrop for his equally impressive lighting throughout. But, I hear you cry, what of the musical itself?
Directed by Sasha Regan, the story centres around Frank (“a Batchelor dandy in need of a shandy, and a quick Arthur J. Rank”… oh yes, did I mention that Wood’s lyrics are often an innuendo-fest!), who is faced with an ultimatum ahead of this upcoming marriage to his beloved Alan, to give up on the frivolities of his single life which, it would seem, includes donating a treasured collection of celebrity dresses that he has accumulated over the years to the V&A museum. With each garment having once belonged to an iconic musical diva from days gone by, Frank (Andy Moss) soon finds himself both lost in reminiscences about how important each has been on the journey of his life, as well as having the diva’s themselves appear as apparitions before him. Enabled by a series of miraculously quick costume changes and an impressive range of dresses and wigs designed by Steven Metcalfe, these are all played by the seemingly inexhaustible Luke Farrugia. His diva’s arrive like the ghosts in A Christmas Carol, (one can only assume that Stuart Wood also quite likes his ‘Dickens in the morning’!), and offer Frank advice as he finds himself becoming increasingly uncertain whether he is doing the right thing by getting married. The cast is completed by the addition of four ‘Gaiety Girls’, (Oliver Bradley-Taylor, Sarah Freer, Olivia McBride and Jack Rose), who are on hand to lend song-and-dance support for some of the impressively big and distinctly catchy tunes… and that, as they say, is tonights entertainment in a n nutshell.
Over the musicals 120 minute duration (inc. interval), one-by-one the dresses in Frank’s Closet conjure up the spirits of Marie Lloyd, (Yes, I had to google who she was as well), Ethel Merman, (more of a vague recognition of her name) Julie Andrews, (we’re back in much safer territory here) Judy Garland, (well, of course) and Dusty Springfield, (now we’re talking) which, despite a more than impressive voice, Farrugia never quite manages to capture a particularly convincing vocal likeness of the diva’s he plays. Impersonations it would seem are not his forte and, whilst I can’t speak for how good his ‘Lloyd’ and ‘Merman’ might have been, it ultimately feels left to the costumes to do most of the heavy lifting in recreating the likeness of these once legendary performers. The one time Farrugia does seem bold enough to attempt an ‘impression’ was during his appearance as Judy Garland. Unfortunately, for this audience member, this only succeeded in conjuring up the spirit of her daughter Liza Minelli, but all attempts at imitation had clearly been dropped by the time he gets to play Karen Carpenter, and his final appearance as Agnetha Fältskog is more like a rather clumsy general Swedish parody… partly redeemed by Jo McShane’s impressive choreography during her number. Despite this, whilst it might be true that a more accomplished impersonator might have more convincingly brought these icons back to life, (for any of the audience members old enough to even recollect the originals), what can’t be denied is the impressive power and range of Farrugia’s own voice, his appearance as Ethel Merman to sing ‘A Mister And A Mister’ becoming a powerful highlight of the night, and a well executed show-stopper, (quite literally, given it happens just before the intermission... a pause in the proceedings where those back at the bar could enjoy some more half-time campery from Shiela Blige) Farrugia then manages to shift gear to conjure up some of the shows more touching moments in the second half, and proves to be as much of a show stealer as a show stopper.
Sadly for Andy Moss, there’s not quite enough meat left on the script to make Frank equally as memorable, and it’s unfortunate that by the time I departed the Union Theatre I was actually none the wiser exactly why it had become so important for Frank to get rid of the dresses from his closet in the first place, (a real shame given it was the central conceit upon which the whole show hung). For those prepared to overlook such mysteries, what we are left with is a fun, entertaining, feel-good musical with all the immersive splendour of shows like Cabaret At The Kit Kat Club… but a whole lot camper (oh yes, it is possible) and on a fraction of the budget. That doesn’t stop the impressive staging and lighting punching way beyond its weight to give this production a really impressive look. A special mention should also be given to Olivia McBride, seen here making her professional debut and who managed to bring so wit and charm to her supporting ‘Gaiety Girl’ role making her an absolute joy to watch.
3.5 stars
review: Simon J. Webb
photographs: Danny Kaan