Chicago

My last theatre visit of the year was to see Chicago at Curve. Walking through Leicester's Cultural Quarter I followed the click clack of foldable walking sticks and the excited squeals of parties of drama students escaping classes for the afternoon.
Settling in my seat right at the back of the stalls I had a great view of the stage. In fact there aren't any 'restricted view' seats at Curve. As we shed our coats and arranged ourselves for the entertainment ambient noise of Chicago's 1920's streets buzzed through the auditorium. Right on time the lights dimmed, the overture was struck up and we prepared ourselves for All That Jazz.
The first thing to notice about Paul Kerryson's production is the colour. Ever since Bob Fosse revived the show in 1975 with his iconic choreography, staging and costumes every subsequent production has copied him. Curve strips it back and starts pretty much from scratch. So out went the black leotards and gothic chiffon and in comes flapper dresses and lots of sparkle imaginatively created by takis who obviously venerates Jean Paul Gaultier; out goes that angular choreography and in comes balletic movements that owe more to Mathew Bourne; out goes the sparse cellblock scenery and in comes a whole raft of clever staging making full use of Curve's lighting capabilities and full height flies for back drops.
The cast, led by Verity Rushworth proving that ex-soap actresses are wasted on TV, and Gemma Sutton, a musical theatre veteran, are a fine assortment of leggy girls and pretty boys who populate the story with a myriad of characters.
I have seen Chicago a couple of times before and it has always seemed to me to be only one step away from a juke-box musical show. Curve's production has, like the film, opened the story up more and made it visually much more exciting. I would be surprised to find it nominated for awards like Gypsy and Hello Dolly before it.
The second half of the show ramps up the switching between fantasy and 'fact' and the entire proceedings, reflecting the surreal manner of the action, becomes a circus and is suitably costumed. This provides a finale which is suitably colourful and outrageous.
Last plaudits must go to the on-stage orchestra who, nestled behind their own mini-proscenium arch, are the backbone of the performance.

© Paul Towers 11/12/2013