Guest review by April Nash
Having been a self confessed theatre kid (and now adult) A Chorus Line speaks to me on a deep and personal level, having grown up on the movie, listening to the original Broadway cast on vinyl and even, directing a local production in 2023 - so let’s just say I know this show pretty well.
Based on real human experiences and devised by Michael Bennett, it graced Broadway and West End stages for many years. It's pretty much been the same production revived from the original, which is why when the Curve’s production tour was announced I booked tickets straight away excited to see a new take on the classic.
From the off, no time was wasted as within seconds we were snapped into to the audition room where talented performers were fighting for one of eight spots in the chorus of a show. After an incredible dance sequence and his initial cuts, the director, Zach (Adam Cooper) reveals that he’s going to do things a bit differently as he wants to know their stories. Zach and the audience are then treated to a rollercoaster of character studies, musical numbers and dance routines - right up until the tense decision of who has made the final cut.
Let me start by saying this production was slick, so slick in fact that I missed a bit of the hunger and grit (if you’ve ever wanted a part in a show you’ll know what I’m talking about!) but that’s such a personal preference that I forgot about it within the first ten minutes, all because of the phenomenal talent on the stage. Moving seamlessly from one section to the next, every cast member made it look so effortless. The stamina in this two-hour-no-interval show is something to behold.
The show introduced a new tech element of a live video feed and displayed some very close-up shots of the performers faces, feet, and dancing throughout the show - ultimately I found this distracting and quite intense, but at certain key moments I understood the intention as to what it was showing us.
I thought that the choreography, direction and lighting was incredible, especially in the Hello 12, Hello 13 medley, which is about adolescence and has wonderful opportunities where every character has a chance to shine. Special mention to, Mark’s (Archie Durrant) medical journal disaster, Diana’s (Jocasta Almgill) powerful performance of Nothing and Richie’s (Mireia Manbo) amazing solo about going to college. This number was my favourite in the entire show with all elements cohesively coming together for a joyous toe tapping finish.
The tech also really impressed me during Cassie’s (Laura Hill in this production) big number trying to persuade Zach (who we find out is an ex) to give her a job in the chorus. Every interaction between these two throughout the show was well acted, but I sadly found her singing to be pitchy in places - her dancing was where she shined though, making a marathon of a dance solo look effortless and with the addition of lighting changes on every beat and move, the entire thing built to a wonderful intensity.
With the highs and lows of the piece the quiet Paul (Manual Pacific) broke my heart (in the best way) with his monologue, a powerful moment of raw acting, which he delivered beautifully. The penultimate number What I Did For Love with its adapted arrangement left me breathless. Bravo.
The finale was everything you would want from a musical - glamorous, harmonious and in perfect unison, so believe me when I say this show is a singular sensation.
Of course, you’ll have to see it for yourself to find out who makes it onto the line! A Chorus Line continues at Norwich Theatre until 31 Aug.
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