Little Lark of London

Going into Pippin – 50th Anniversary Concert, I genuinely had no idea what to expect. I was familiar with Pippin and had listened to the cast recording several times, but this seemed like it was going to be a new production. This production, directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, proves this within the first number, with Pippin himself emerging from the audience and rushing on to join the performers, a bold beginning that I loved as it truly added to the idea that those inside of the show know that they are performing for an audience. 

Alex Newell is an absolutely brilliant Leading Player, conducting the show through their song. Newell plays the character as an exasperated and over-stretched stage manager, snapping at the performers when they go off-script and ensuring everything is exactly the way they want it to be. But unfortunately for the Leading Player, there are several other characters competing for and commanding the spotlight. 

As the titular character, Jac Yarrow does a fantastic job, playing the young prince as a naive and spoiled yet sweet man who learns how to find the extraordinary things in life in unexpected ways. I particularly loved Yarrow’s versions of “Corner of the Sky” and “Morning Glow.” He has some wonderful moments with Berthe, played by the legendary Patricia Hodge, who leads the audience in a singalong with “No Time at All” (Set Designer Polly Sullivan has a creative way of making the lyrics appear!). There is also a great energy between Yarrow and Cedric Neil, who plays Pippin’s father, the cruel King Charlemagne. 

Though she only really appears in the second act, Lucie Jones does a lovely job playing Pippin’s love interest, Catherine, a performer struggling to stick to her script, much to the ire of the Leading Player. Ryan Heenan, who plays Theo, also gives a great performance, particularly when portraying the petulance of the child. He is always given quite the satisfying role in the ending, as this production chooses to go with the newer “Theo ending” that was conceived in the 1990s by Mitch Sebastian. 

The ensemble of Jak Allen-Anderson, Sally Firth, Amonik Melaco and Gleanne Purcell-Brown do a fantastic job with Joanna Goodwin’s choreography, with dances that honour the original work by Bob Fosse but bring a modern twist to the production. I particularly loved watching Firth dance, particularly when she would look out at the audience with a knowing smirk, a performer loving that they know something that we do not. Kudos must be giving to Jane Deitch for her excellent casting!

But the performer who truly steals the show is Zizi Strallen as Fastrada, the conniving wife of Charlemagne who is determined to make sure everything goes right for her son, Lewis. I quite nearly gave her a standing ovation after her solo number, “Spread a Little Sunshine.” It’s incredible to see just how easily Strallen is able to tap into a role that is so different from one like Mary Poppin, a role that garnered Strallen an Olivier Award nomination in 2020.

The music and lyrics of Stephen Schwartz are enhanced by Simon Nathan’s orchestrations, which are based on the original orchestration by Larry Hochman. Everything is only enhanced by the use of the London Musical Theatre Orchestra, who literally appear as a chorus with the orchestra, conducted and directed by Chris Ma. I cannot comment on changes made to Roger O. Hirson’s book as I do not intimately know the original, but I found this production’s book easy to follow, an impressive feat with such a strange show and plot. 

Ultimately, Pippin – 50th Anniversary Concert is a shining example of what West End concerts can be. It takes the original work and turns it into something new, bringing in fresh concepts and challenging expectations. Les Misérables: The Staged Concert step aside – we have a new concert standard in town.

Pippin – 50th Anniversary Concert ran on 29 and 30 April at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith