COMPANY

Sondheim’s early career as a lyricist, West Side Story and Gypsy, then a leap to composer and lyricist for A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, garnered him much praise, he was clearly the rising star of Broadway and musical theatre. But it was Company that truly set him apart. The previous three shows had been very clearly set in a conventional mode, story led and packed with tunes and lyrics that could be described as conventional, what one might have expected when heading out to see a musical.

In 1970 he creates, with writer George Furth, a show that broke conventions. Company is a musical autopsy of the state of love and marriage. It’s a bitter dissection of how women and men relate to each other, how partnerships are balanced or indeed unbalanced, how we meet and we mate. And Sondheim forensically probes the subject by introducing us to a group of friends and a trio of lovers that surround the central character Robert.

It was not only a radical departure from romance and fantasy in the form but also the start of Sondheim exploring his own complex musical compositional skills and his terrifyingly and complexly structured lyrics.

All this makes Company an extraordinary turning point in musical theatre but also a daunting show to stage. A huge cast, challenging songs and complicated staging… surely this would put off many companies. But not Brighton and Hove Operatic Society (BHOS). No, they have leapt in feet first and pulled it off.

Their new venue is a very welcome addition to Brighton and Hove’s theatre scene, a small but well  designed space gives the city a new and potentially very versatile opportunity for exciting productions, and Company is certainly exciting.

And when I say small it is remarkable to see so many performers on that small stage executing with precision and skill some very exacting choreography, We were treated to a very full on production of the show for sure, a clever set, stylishly monochrome, good costumes and a great orchestral score, a track yes, but how else would you do this in such a compact space, certainly no room for even a keyboard let alone a band.

Director, designer, choreographer Steve Titchmarsh has certainly proved that he has got what it takes with this his first production in the city and for BHOS. A name to look out for in future.

Reading the programme notes one is reminded of the wealth of talent here in the city too. Cast notes show that whilst BHOS carries the ambiguity of the word “amateur” their credentials are far from the misuse of that word. Many of the names on that stage have CVs that boast professional theatre experience and certainly stage school education. Titchmarsh has cast from a rich pool of talent and chosen well.

The story weaves around a young single man, Bobby. He is surrounded by friends who are concerned that at 35 he is as yet unmarried. Aaron Coomer plays the part with sensitivity and an air of fragility. He’s not sure what he really wants, but is pretty sure that doesn’t want a relationship that mirrors any of those that surround him. His three girlfriends don’t fit the bill either but how they nail their close harmony number You Could Drive A Person Crazy, an all dancing and singing homage to the vocal style of the Andrews Sisters. Grace Riach, Natasha Wynn and Maya Kihara are all excellent and when Kihara later returns to sing Another Hundred People she absolutely shines, yet again mastery of Sondheim’s complex lyrical gymnastics. And Grace Riach’s dippy April is a finely honed piece of comedy.

Whilst Company may not be as well known as Sondheim’s early and later work, the show is packed with songs that have become very well known outside the confines of the piece.

Katherine Johnson-Miller as Amy delivers a breathtaking and impressive rendition of Getting Married Today and Philip Lloyd Davies adds perfect balance to the song in this complex duet.

Charlotte Moroney has the show stealing solo with The Ladies Who Lunch and rounds off what has been an impressive performance throughout. Her brittle rendering of a rich Manhattan matriarch is superb and well matched by Jim Apted as Larry.

Constance Fisher and Jack West work so well together as the happily divorced Susan and Peter and Peter’s coming out moment is well observed and delightfully understated.

Bertie Purchese and Lauren Skellett as David and Jenny brought genuine humour to their roles as the dope toking cool kids clinging to their fading youth.

Kate Toomer and Chris Parke are excellently paired as Sarah and Harry, his rich and resonant voice soars and she too know not only how to belt out a tune but also how to act it.

And that really is the key to this show. The songs are there, peppering a good play but not merely for decoration but to progress and to illustrate the narrative. You could go out there and simply deliver the song, many have done so when performing the songs outside the show, but it’s not enough.  A great voice is a good start, but each needs a great actor too. This what we get from BHOS once again, a full on production of a huge show in a tiny studio setting, quite an achievement.

Andrew Kay

The Campbell Studio Theatre

2 April

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