Date: 19th January 2023
Venue: Wales Millenium Centre
All this week, the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff has been taken over by gangsters, showgirls, and splurge guns – as the much loved family musical ‘Bugsy Malone’ makes the latest stop of its’ first ever UK tour. I’ve watched only snippets of the famous Alan Parker film, so before my visit, my only Bugsy recollections were ‘My Name is Tallulah,’ kids playing grownups, New York accents – and the gloriously messy end scene. So I knew this would be fun (and goodness, did I need some fun after being emotionally wrecked, in the best possible way, by Les Misérables, last week), but I was curious to see if these aspects would translate well to the stage – and, they mostly did!
Story
As musicals go, Bugsy Malone is an unusual beast – the stage musical (and the film) plunges us into prohibition era New York where showgirls perform at the local Squeakeasy and gangsters are rife; so far, so grown – up. Make all those showgirls and gangsters children however, and it changes the whole thing. Whipped cream pies and guns filled with splurge are the preferred weapons, kisses go on fingers which are then pressed on lips, and when anybody’s shot – the just jump straight back up again and cry out ‘Aw, man!” A distinctly un child – friendly storyline turns into a literal, glorified example of child’s play and it’s bizarre: but it works. Add in a couple of jazzy tunes, and a heap of comedy, and it’s even better.
Cast
Bugsy Malone’s most unique selling point is a cast mostly made up of children. Theatre sophisticates may scoff; after all, this could turn into a logistical disaster depending on how you look at it. However, I’m pleased to say that this latest revival has managed to pull it off – not least because it’s not all kids this time round. I mean, yes, youngsters still do take all the big, meaty main roles but revolving around them are some very capable grownups; who mostly take their place in the ensemble or as smaller parts. The only exception to this was the titular role of Bugsy, who was also played by an adult (due to the absence of young Gabriel Payne, who I hope is okay). So, first shout out of the night goes to Marcus Billany who acquitted himself superbly – despite sometimes being the only adult onstage. He achieved the perfect balance of cheek and charm. Anyway, the balance of kids and adults helped to create the perfect balance between professionalism and school – play charm. Actually, when I think about it, the latter term is very degrading to describe the young cast used in this production; as each and every one of them are professionalism personified.
There are three kid casts who rotate, and the all youngsters I caught were so, so talented – especially considering a lot of them probably hadn’t even reached their teens yet. They were adorable too, so it didn’t really matter if they were to forget a line or two (but this never happened) or slip out of their impressively accurate New York accents (which did happen, quite a few times). The best thing though – they all looked like they were having THE best time up there – which is, after all, the most important thing. The three youngsters who stood out for me were Mia Lakha (Hollywood wannabe Blousey Brown) Jasmine Sakyiama (Tallulah) and Albie Snelson (Fat Sam). Both Mia and Jasmine proved that they’re skilled singers (their voices were probably the best of the night) belting out heir solo numbers (‘Bugsy Malone’ and My Name is Tallulah’ for Tallulah, and ‘I’m Feeling Fine’ and ‘No Ordinary Fool’ for Blousey) with aplomb. They’re skilled actresses to boot, particularly Jasmine who confidently assumed a narrator role throughout the show.
#As for Albie, he totally embodied his character of charismatic mob leader and owner of ‘Fat Sam’s Grand Slam’ squeakeasy (‘the liveliest joint in town!’), and is a comedy king in the making. He was on stage for much of the show, and all that time he exuded poise, confidence, awareness (interacting very well with fellow performers, the audience, and even members of the orchestral pit), and impressive comedic timing, whilst not once allowing his gravelly, exaggerated New York accent to falter. This young man already knows how to keep an audience captivated; beautifully demonstrated during a scene break when he’s forced to do his own set change. I’m not sure whether this was an add on to the original script, or a genuine mistake – but Albie definitely made the most of it; breaking the fourth wall and bemoaning whilst rushing around the stage; leaving the audience in stiches. Oh, and did I mention this is his professional stage debut. Mind blown.
Elsewhere, tiny Aidan Oti stole our hearts as adorably downtrodden janitor ‘Fizzy,’ who dreams of being a dancer – his solo ‘Tomorrow’ (which isn’t an easy song to sing, but he nailed it) was filled with emotion and longing. Similarly, the even smaller Cherry Mitra was just so endearing to watch as ‘Lena/Babyface.’ They may have been the littlest members of the cast, but both proved to be just as capable. Oh, and I mustn’t forget Desmond Cole as Dandy Dan, who radiated an amount of menace that is startling in someone so young. I must also congratulate Desmond on his diction, which was beautifully clear throughout, even if his accent slipped a bit sometimes. Really though, all the children performed exceptionally well, and should be very proud of themselves. Stars of the future for sure.
And then of course there was the supremely competent adult ensemble, who raced through the energetic group numbers with ease and complimented the younger ones well.
Music
The instantly hummable songs (‘My Name is Tallulah,’ ‘Fat Sam’s Grand Slam,’ ‘Bad Guys,’ and ‘You Give A Little Love’ to name a few) were played the brilliant orchestra (under the supervision of Connagh Tomkinson), and while the singing varied in quality throughout, the young cast performed them confidently and with evident enjoyment. The group numbers that combined vocals with Drew McOnie’s tight, imaginative chorography were particularly impressive; personal highlights for me were ‘Bad Guys,’ ‘Down and Out,’ (Marcus Billany proved to be particularly commanding in this one), and ‘So You Want To Be A Boxer.’
Set, Costumes and Technicalities
The set was, I think, ingenious – quite unassuming at the beginning (very bleak and industrial) but soon popping with bright colours as ‘Fat Sam’s Grand Slam,’ and then proceeding to represent different locations simply but effectively. Costumes (aesthetically pleasing and authentic to the era), sound and lighting were great too. Finally, I have to give a nod to the incredibly slick scene transitions, that did wonders to make sure the overall pace of the production never slowed.
The JazzyHands Verdict
Overall, this was an enjoyable, light-hearted romp with plenty of comedy, action and music that should appeal to the whole family. Indeed, there were many youngsters in the audience who seemed to be loving it, and who, no doubt, were inspired by the young talent on display onstage. The freestyle dance finale was a wonderful way to finish proceedings, with the junior actors busting some nifty moves, and leaving everyone with a huge smile on their face. In fact, I only knocked off half a star because the splurge guns just weren’t splurgy enough. Damn modern Health and Safety!