Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Piccadilly Theatre, London
Cast: Natalie Kassanga, Dom Simpson, Dean Read, Dex Lee, Ben Richards, Ross Chisari, Lindsey Tierney, Helen K Wint, Matteo Johnson and Bernadette Bangura
Enter a world of splendour and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory! A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Pop the champagne and prepare for the spectacular. Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. Directed by Tony Award® nominee Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a theatrical celebration of Truth, Beauty, Freedom and above all, Love.
It's been a while since my last visit to the Rouge but from the second you enter the theatre, you're instantly transported back to the iconic nightclub. The dimmed red lighting sets the seductive tone of the production immediately and the extravagant and opulent theming of the theatre is everything you'd expect from such a lavish show.
The production is based on the 2001 smash-hit film of the same name, featuring Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman. If you're unfamiliar with the story, it follows the sparkling diamond, Satine; the star of the Moulin Rouge. After an unexpected meeting with aspiring musician Christian, the pair fall in love. But Satine needs her job, and to keep her job, she must keep her investors happy; in particular, the controlling Duke.
Moulin Rouge is a spectacle like no other, in every sense of the word. You'll be hard pressed to find anything close to its calibre on the West End right now; from the groundbreaking sets by Derek McLane, to the many bedazzled costumes by Catherine Zuber, it's often overwhelming to see such a display of talent on one stage.
Jukebox musicals can be divisive but the music choices work expertly well within Moulin Rouge. From Lady Gaga, to Beyonce, to Rihanna, to Sia, there's an assortment spanning decades, all fusing together to make one of the greatest pop scores in musical theatre.
Moulin Rouge contains one of the greatest dance scenes to witness on a West End stage with 'Backstage Performance', performed by the ensemble, with Santiago and Nini at its helm. In this particular performance, we had understudies for both characters; Ross Chisari as Santiago and Lindsey Tierney as Nini. Chisari's deliciously camp characterisation of Santiago breathed a new lease of life into the character and his tango-inspired dancing with Tierney proved to be a firm highlight of the show.
Natalie Kassanga and Dom Simpson, the production's leads, have a chemistry that feels so authentic and genuine, that the inevitable ending hits so much harder than I ever remember it hitting in past iterations I've seen. Simpson shines brightest in the second act, with highlights being 'El Tango de Roxanne' and 'Crazy Rolling'. While Kassanga, like the sparkling diamond herself, is mesmerising from the second she descends from the ceiling of the theatre.
Dean Read was our Harold Zidler for this performance and provided one of the best takes on the character I've ever seen. This particular performance seemed to have quite a few understudies and covers on for the principal roles and it felt like a celebration of how exceptional they truly are.
When a show has been a staple in the West End for a while, it's easy to forget how lucky we are to have it on London's doorstep. And yesterday was a not-so-gentle reminder as to why Moulin Rouge still remains one of the greatest productions on the West End right now.
You can book tickets to Moulin Rouge, here.
**photo credit: Marc Brenner**
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