Lizzie (2024 Cast) at the Hope Mill Theatre

It’s no secret that I adore this show and I am absolutely thrilled that it has returned to the Hope Mill Theatre for a four-week run with a fabulous new cast!

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

I am absolutely thrilled that this show has returned as it simply is fabulous and one of my favourite shows. This review will not be as long as my original one as the main content of the show is the same as the original Hope Mill Theatre production but I do want to use this review to discuss the absolutely fabulous cast.

Kayleigh McKnight leads in the title role as Lizzie Borden and she presents the perfect characterisation for Lizzie Borden allowing the audience to watch the events detailed in the show influence and affect Lizzie until she snaps during Somebody Will Do Something. This characterisation is especially showcased during This Is Not Love and The Soul of the White Bird where I was able to feel for Lizzie and her situation whilst simultaneously being aware that I was watching her slowly snap. Alongside this characterisation, Kayleigh McKnight flaunted fabulous vocals which were able to shine during both the more rock elements and then the softer elements of the show with a beautiful range where regardless of the song these vocals were consistently maintained and delivered. Emma Louise Israel plays Emma Borden, the other Borden sister, and I was left in awe by her stunning voice which was especially highlighted during her two songs Sweet Little Sister and What The F**k Now, Lizzie?!. Furthermore, she displayed a brilliant depiction of Emma Borden capturing subtle nuances as well as her obvious mannerisms, behaviours and actions which all combined to convey so much detail to the audience adding to the overall performance. Katie Tonkinson plays Alice Russel and her riffs during If You Knew had me stunned to silence. the vocals she showcased during If You Knew, Will You Stay? and Will You Lie? were nothing short of beautiful and I feel privileged to have been able to hear these renditions live. Additionally, she bought a soft care to Alice, which juxtaposes Lizzie at moments to create fabulous points in the show where this contrast is clear, such as during Will You Lie? and this contrast allows the various emotions of Lizzie and Alice to be even more strongly conveyed. Last but certainly not least is Jennifer Caldwell as Bridget. Jennifer Caldwell has perfected the nuances of Bridget from facial expression to comments which added aeons to the character and definitely provide a strong feeling of comedy throughout the show. Her renditions of The House of Borden and The Fall of the House of Borden perfectly balanced comedy, performance and vocals to produce both entertaining and impressive moments of the show. Also during The Soul of the White Bird Jennifer Calwedll brilliantly blended with Kayleigh McKnight to produce an audibly and visually beautiful performance of this song.

Run don't walk to see this show before it closes as you will not regret it!

Content Warnings:

Unfortunately, since the last time I saw Lizzie at the Hope Mill Theatre, these content warnings are partially included on their website (Violence, References to Sexual Abuse, Strong Language, Use of Strobe Light). However, they are no longer included in emails from the Hope Mill Theatre, which is a difference from the original run when these warnings were included in email correspondence. These content warnings also detail that the show has an age recommendation of 13+ which I think is very well-advised based on the content of this show and also clarify the show and interval times which can be beneficial for people. The visible content warnings of the show have been updated since the last Lizzie run and they are now as follows:

Violence
References to Sexual Abuse
Strong Language
Blood
Loud Noises
References to Death
The Use of Strobe Lights and Haze
This production is recommended to people over the age of 13 years old!

Running Time

Act 1: 45 mins

Interval: 20 mins

Act 2: 35 mins

The notice went on to say that if you have any questions, please speak to a member of the HMT theatre. This may seem insignificant to some people, but as someone with anxiety, this made me feel much more comfortable about the possibility of speaking to someone about the content of the show, as it enforces the thought that any member of staff would feel comfortable helping me, as per this notice suggests.

Personally, I did not feel triggered by this show but after watching the show I want to go on to highlight some of the scenes that could be triggering for other audience members without spoiling too much of the show.

The show has moments that are quite visually graphic as they show sexual abuse, especially during the songs This Is Not Love and The Soul of the White Bird. These scenes didn't trigger me but they are definitely uncomfortable and hard to watch. This Is Not Love, especially is explicit about what happened to Lizzie Borden and how her father sexually abused her. This abuse is mentioned throughout, and this is why I would not recommend this show for people who are triggered by sexual abuse or younger audiences.
The Soul of the White Bird is less visually graphic but still has its moments. This song is challenging as you watch Lizzie's mind falter as she struggles with what her father did to her.
The show is visually gory, as the murders occur, the stage is covered in a projection of dripping blood and a character ends up covered in blood.
The show is loud due to the music, and the theatre does shake during heavier moments in songs due to the power of the beat.
The theatre is hard to leave due to its nature so if you feel that you may struggle with anything it would be advisable to sit at the end of a row (low number) as you can only exit the theatre using the exit behind the seating or the main entrance door which could possibly involve walking across the aisle between the stage and front row potentially disrupting the show especially since the stage is barely raised above floor level.
Will You Lie? shows the use of love as a form of manipulation as one character coerces another character into lying for them.

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

- AnxiousTheatregoer