Our House

This evening MrsCyclops and I went to see Our House at the Festival Theatre. I LOVED Our House when we first saw it in the West End in London, and the same production again in Edinburgh a few years later. I love the energy, the music, the darkness and the staging.

This new touring production isn't a patch on the West End production. It's lost all of the energy, the music has lost its punch, the darkness has been replaced with razamataz, and the staging has become cliched.

The cast didn't help. It's small, and most people have to cover many parts as well as playing with the band. Perhaps it's just too much for them, but the performances all lack real charisma. All of the darkness, irony, sarcasm, attitude, energy and authenticity of the original production has been replaced by blandness and razamataz. One member of the chorus (who also played a secretary and various other parts) looked like she was performing in a musical. The vocals were shaky in places, and downright tuneless at worst. Unambitious choreography lacked crispness of execution.

All in all very disappointing. I still enjoyed the music and spectacle, but it has become a sad shadow of what it was. I'll be watching the DVD of the original production soon to cleanse my mind...