Amelie

Review by: Paul Towers, 9/7/19

Amelie by Craig Lucas, Daniel Messe & Nathan Tysen

Haymarket Leicester 9 – 13 July 2019

“My verdict? In the vernacular of the youngsters today, meh!”

The set of Amelie is a work of art. Doors slide back and forth to reveal hidden rooms and Amelie’s bedroom is entertainingly perched atop the set in the style of a Hobbit house.

The story starts off with Amelie as a toddler, imagined adorably realistic in puppet form. Along the way there are several surreal elements, at times almost like a Terry Gilliam movie. Amelie has had a terrible childhood with an icy mother and a wanting father. She is socially secluded and views the world through a telescope. When she spots a boy she fancies she has to devise a roundabout way to meet him. At least, that’s what I think it is about.

The score is reminiscent of Once, folksy and almost Irish in tempo.

I have never seen the film and, apparently, watching the film will make more sense of the stage musical.

It’s not a bad show; the instrument playing ensemble are perfectly good instrumentalists, they can also act and sing. The leading actors can sing and act well enough. But the narrative, in ‘Allo ‘Allo French accents, is often hard to follow and the story is not at all clear. My verdict? In the vernacular of the youngsters today, meh!

I assume that the leads are played by Audrey Brisson and Danny Mac but there were no programmes available so I haven’t a clue. As for the rest of the cast, your guess is as good as mine.

Amelie is at Haymarket until Saturday 13^th July

Haymarket Theatre - https://www.haytheatre.com/

Upstairs at The Western http://upstairsatthewestern.com/
First published on Western Gazette