TREASON (Cadogan Hall)****

  

By Dave 

Link: https://cadoganhall.com/whats-on/treason-the-musical-2021-stream

Available until: Performances at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday 13^th and Sunday 14^th March.

Treason is a very exciting new musical with real West End potential. The recent successes of Hamilton and Six have shown that musicals based on historical incidents do very well at the moment and Treason has a lot going for it.

It could do with being a bit longer. It’s under 50 minutes at the moment so unless you’re going to pair it in a double bill with another musical, maybe even Six (which is just 70 minutes long). It’s not really long enough for a night at the theatre. But it definitely has the potential to be a lot longer. At the moment, there are no real scenes – just the songs with narration from writer and actor Debris Stevenson. Debris does a great job. She reads everything really clearly, she’s very expressive and she’s got a way of making you want to listen to her.

I’m not sure whether the musical was always intended to be performed in this way or if it’s more a work in progress but as it is, it’s a really arresting musical. Some people would prefer scenes and that’s a point of view I understand and probably agree with but you’ve got to give the writer massive credit for doing something new, whether it’s a temporary or permanent thing. Ricky Allan and Kieran Lynn wrote the book together and it’s concise, clear and interesting.

Ricky also wrote the music and lyrics which are both brilliant. If you had to compare Treason’s music to another well-known musical, I’d say it’s most likes Les Miserables – it has that same dramatic, declamatory style which works really well for Treason but at the same time, I feel Ricky has a really unique voice as both a lyricist and a composer and this is a really strong soundtrack. At times the musical strays in the direction of folk music and opera and it’s really impressive. Nick Finlow conducts a live orchestra who really bring out the different musical styles, as well as the emotion.

Hannah Chissick is the director. Like most directors, she’s restricted by the pandemic and she has a cast full of singers who are always two metres apart and are mainly facing front rather than looking at each other. She really has done a brilliant job because the musical doesn’t feel static at all. The distances don’t seem to matter. The story feels real and compelling and the emotion in it is so powerful, it actually doesn’t feel like a concert performance.

It’s an all-star cast with some big names known from musicals including Waitress, Les Miserables, Wicked, Hamilton and School of Rock. Lucie Jones is in stunning voice as Martha Percy, the wife of one of the men involved in the Gunpowder Plot. It’s a powerful performance and her connection with Bradley Jaden’s smooth-voiced Thomas Percy is very strong even at a distance. Anyone who likes their musicals to have a bit of romance will find a lot to enjoy here.

Daniel Boys’ characterisation of King James is really sweet. His performance has some lovely details and he gives the musical a bit of humour. Oliver Tompsett is imposing as Robert Catesby, and Waylon Jacobs is strong in both voice and presence as John White. Rebecca LaChance and Sharon Rose have very different voices which blend perfectly as Anne Vaux and Eleanor Brooksby. Emmanuel Kojo (Tom Winter) and Cedric Neal (The Earl) complete a brilliant and starry cast.

 

There’s no role for Guy Fawkes, but he does get a mention. If you want to know more about the man who usually gets the blame, you’ll have to watch this brilliant musical.