A Chorus Line at Sadler's Wells

Sensational show! However, the singular act may not be completely necessary. This is a show that I went into blind apart from knowing that it was only one act. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, however, whilst I can see the benefit of it being a one act show, I can also see the downsides. While I understand the importance in allowing us to watch the continuous audition take place and sympathise with the characters, I see how it could be difficult for audience members.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

This was an incredibly enjoyable show that I am glad to have been able to see, especially since it is definitely viewed as a more iconic show in theatre. As already mentioned, I understand that this show occurs in one act so that the audience is able to experience and sympathise with the continuous audition process which transitions into rehearsals and then the actual performance. However, with a run time of 1 hour 55 minutes, this is a very difficult show to watch in one act and from my experience I do not believe that the show’s flow or effect would have been impacted had an interval been added and when the characters went off for a break this actually felt like a fitting moment for an interval to occur. Regarding the original source of this show, I do feel that some stories could have been developed more as we do not learn about people such as Larry apart from the fact that he is the choreographer for Zach and I did find myself wishing I knew more about the character and what led him to being in that position during this show. I had a similar sentiment for other characters whose stories I felt could have been developed and discovered more; however, I am aware that the show focuses more on the audition process and specific characters to maintain a reasonable run time.

The ensemble is composed of Yuki Abe, Fin Adams, Katrina Dix, Imogen Rose Hart, Laura Hills, Josh Kiernan, and Joshua Steel, however, they are cut after I Hope I Get it and did not appear to be featured in the rest of the show. This show is ensemble-heavy as all other named characters work together to create an ensemble piece, which is what I think makes this show fairly unique and special. The main company of the show is composed of Carly Mercedes Dyer (Cassie), Adam Cooper (Zach), Jocasta Almgill (Diana Morales), Lydia Bannister (Bebe Benzenheimer), Bradley Delarosbel (Gregory Gardner), Archie Durrant (Mark Anthony), Joshua Lay (Al Deluca), Katie Lee (Kristine Urich), Mireia Mambo (Richie Walters), Kanako Nakano (Judy Turner), Manuel Pacific (Paul San Marco), Ashley Jordan Packer (Larry), Kate Parr (Maggie), Rachel Jayne Picar (Connie Wong), Redmond Rance (Mike Costa), Chloe Saunders (Val Clarke), Toby Seddon (Bobby Mills), Amy Thornton (Sheila Bryant), and Louie Wood (Don Kerr). Carly Mercedes Dyer steals the show with her sensational dancing and vocals, which left me in awe during her solo, The Music and The Mirror. Adam Cooper leads the show as the desperate director trying to fill the chorus for his show, however I would say that his stand-out moment for me was the transition dance into One which is the final song of the show and completes the audience's journey with the cast from audition to rehearsals to the first performance. Jocasta Almgill leads during Montage Part 2 (Nothing) and What I Did for Love with a beautiful subtle command that made her character a joy to watch grow during the audition process. Also, What I Did For Love is a wonderful yet emotional moment as the auditionees consider what they would do if they could no longer dance or perform. Toby Seddon balances comedy and performance brilliantly during I Can Do That, and this is continued into …And where he is joined in performance by Mireia Mambo, Chloe Saunders and Kanako Nakano. At The Ballet is performed by Amy Thornton, Lydia Bannister, and Kate Parr. This is a moment of almost stillness in the show as it highlights a more balletic nature rather than the jazz in the rest of the show, however, this is also an emotional moment as the three leading ladies consider their strained home relationships and openly discuss this during this song. Sing! juxtaposes At The Ballet and returns to the more comedic theme of the show, this song was brilliantly performed by Katie Lee, Joshua Lay, and company. This is one of my favourite moments of the show as Al conveniently chimes in to help Kristine sing during moments when she would struggle. The four montages of the show are: Montage Part One (Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love) which is performed by Archie Durrant, Rachel Jayne Picar, and company; Montage Part 2 (Nothing) which is performed by Jocasta Almgill; Montage Part 3 (Mother) which is performed by Louie Wood, Kanako Nakano, Kate Parr, and company; and Montage Part 4 (Gimme the Ball) which is performed by Bradley Delarosbel, Mireia Mambo, and company. The stand-out moment during these montages for me was Mireia Mambo’s fantastic dancing and singing during Part 4 (Gimme the Ball), however, all 4 montages were fabulous in their own rights and were brilliant contributions to this show as they showcased both the leads of each part and the ensemble. Chloe Saunders leads in Dance: Ten, Looks: Three with the perfect hilarity required for this song, her characterisation was brilliant to watch and this quickly became another one of my favourite moments of this performance.

If you have the chance to catch A Chorus Line whilst it is on tour I would definitely recommend watching it however the 1 hour 55 minute run time without an interval is most certainly something to be aware of.

Content Warnings:

The theatre did not have any displayed content warnings that I could see, however, I did make note of moments or effects that I felt should be mentioned, which are as follows:

References to suicide (Judy and Bobby)
References to sexual assault during Paul’s solo
General negative self-thoughts throughout, such as feelings of failure or no other career options, feeling as though you are not pretty enough (Dance: Ten, Looks: Three), and feeling too old, which is conveyed through the character of Sheila
References to homophobia are made by various male leads when performing solos and throughout the show
References to bereavement are made by Diana Morales when discussing her teacher, Mr Karp, during Nothing
References to poor home life, which various characters wanted to escape for differing reasons, are made during At The Ballet

The website does contain content warnings, however, sadly these are at the very bottom of the page in a small font just above the marketing and press information rather than being clearly displayed and linked to. These content warnings are as follows:

Haze
Loud Music
Strobe
Theatrical Smoke
Bereavement
Physical Violence and Abuse
Mental Ill health
Discrimination
Strong Language
Discussion of Sexual Abuse

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)

- AnxiousTheatregoer