Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

My most anticipated show of the year. This innovative show lived up to and exceeded all of my expectations. As a long-standing lover of this musical, I was thrilled when a UK run was announced at the Donmar Warehouse and was even more thrilled when I managed to book tickets. Getting to see this wonderful show live was a privilege and this cast delivered a stellar performance smashing any expectations I had for this show out of the water!

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

As opposed to the previous Off-Broadway production initially starring Dave Malloy in the role of Pierre who was then succeeded by Josh Groban, this production has elected to cast away the period-accurate clothing and set in favour of a modernised telling of this story. The stripped-back set designed by Leslie Travers allowed for a greater focus from the audience on the content of the show and also created a feeling of seamless immersion as the cast would make their way around and interact with the stalls seating at various moments during the performance. Alongside set, Howard Hudson (Lighting Designer) brilliantly used lighting throughout the performance to focus on the cast and the most beautiful use of lighting in the production for me was the ending which brought the whole story to a perfect and impactful end with the show both starting and ending with Declan Bennett (Pierre) being the focal or singular cast member on stage. Whilst the costumes were well designed by Evie Gurney this was where the modernisation almost felt as though it fell short as the costumes did not feel as though they delivered up to the grandeur of the show which was particularly noticeable by the line when Anatole enters the opera with “His sword and spurs jangling”, and instead simply walks on in a suit. Ellen Kane’s choreography was one of my favourite creative elements of this production, especially during the Prologue where she assigned each character an individual gesture and seamlessly incorporated it into the choreography for the full song.

Declan Bennett (Pierre) brings the audience on a journey to 19th-century Russia as what could be described as the narrator of the show. Whilst we hear from the perspectives of all characters, Pierre being the character to both open and close the show certainly makes him feel like a pivotal character in my interpretation of the show. Declan Bennett takes on this challenge with skill and talent that allows for an impactful and varied portrayal of this character as he is able to show the various sides of Pierre as he changes through what he experiences. His rendition of Dust and Ashes was simply divine and for me, this has always been such a powerful moment in the show where Pierre in my mind decides to change his fate for the better and this moment of harrowing realisation and regret into a hope for a better tomorrow is perfectly portrayed to this audience and is supported by sublime vocals that captivate the audience. Something which is even more impressive when done by one singular character during a solo. Chumisa Dornford-May (Countess Natasha Rostova) stuns with her performance holding the audience in the palm of her hand as we watch Natasha grow and shape whilst in Russia through her experiences and who she interacts with. Her rendition of No One Else was beautiful and her ability to capture both the hope and despair of Natasha throughout the performance is a testament to her skill. She is able at select moments of the show to make it feel as though she can truly feel and sense Andrey despite him being away at war which allows Chumisa Dornford-May to further draw the audience into sympathising with the turmoil that Natasha is experiencing which is such an important element for this show as understanding Natasha’s experience for me personally greatly enhances the impact this show can have on an audience member. Her voice is a joy to listen to and I avidly awaited any moment she would sing as I knew it was about to be a showcase of her talent not only vocally but performance-wise as well. Joining Natasha in Russia is her cousin Sonya Rostova, played by Maimuna Memin, who in my opinion is a rising star in the industry and one to watch with phenomenal vocals and performance. The power she brought to this character was delightful to see and her solo moments left me entranced by her performance and ability to draw the audience's attention whether alone or being accompanied by the Ensemble and other characters on stage. During The Private and Intimate Life of the House, Eugene McCoy (Prince Bolkonsky/Andrey) showed the audience exactly why he was perfect for the role of Prince Bolkonsky. He portrayed the “crazy” Prince Bolkonsky exceptionally, and his dancing across the top of the stage whilst Chloe Saracco (Mary) sang below perfectly encapsulated the experience of the Bolkonsky household, allowing the audience to sympathise for Mary and her situation whilst also being shown the true nature of Prince Bolkonsky. This moment was comedic without overpowering the story, a balance which is so often not struck but was executed brilliantly in this instance and formed one of my favourite moments of the show. Chloe Saracco’s vocals were showcased during her duet with Chumisa Dornford-May during Natasha & Bolkonskys, allowing both of their talents to shine whilst also demonstrating the strained relationship between the two parties. Jamie Muscato plays the egotistical and self-centred Anatole with perfect flair and arrogance. His performance creates a love-to-hate-him character, and this sentiment towards Anatole is essential for the audience to understand the situation between this character and Natasha. Jamie Muscato is known for his flawless vocals and he once again delivered in this performance, especially during Letters, which truly showcased his vocal ability and Preparations/Balaga, both of which allowed for his portrayal of this character to shine alongside his vocals. Jamie Muscato, the Other Characters, and the Ensemble create a memorable and visually exquisite performance for the audience during Preparations/Balaga, which has stayed with me as an audience member because of its immersiveness and constant engagement of the audience by there always being something to watch no matter where you looked on the stage. Cedric Neal captivated as Balaga during the song of the same name with his engaging and show-boating portrayal of Balaga, which is so fitting for the character. His portrayal of Balaga was fabulous and I could not have imagined a better way for this character to be played as it perfectly matched the image of Balaga created by descriptions of him from other characters such as Fedya Dolokhov played by Daniel Krikler. The role of Anatole’s right-hand man is played by Daniel Krikler and his interactions with Jamie Muscato and Cat Simmons (Hélène Kuragina Bezukhova) felt natural but fitting for these characters creating an enjoyable portrayal even when he was not the focal point of the show such as during Balaga when he and Anatole are interacting behind a crate on the stage. Cat Simmons plays the sister of Anatole, Hélène Kuragina Bezukhova, with an entrancing performance and she truly shines during Charming where her full vocal talents were on display. Charming is my favourite song in the show and Cat Simmon’s rendition was stunning and is something that I feel so privileged to have been able to witness live. Annette McLaughlin (Marya Dimitriyevna) leads Natasha and Sonya through Russia with an iron fist and her full power in this rule was on display during In My House which is always such a powerful moment from Marya and as such requires a strong performer to lead and control this moment as Marya tries to save the family's reputation as things fall apart around her, Annette McLaughlin was able to lead this moment brilliantly which set her suitability for this role in stone for me. The Ensemble, which consistently enhances and supports the show, is comprised of Andrew Berlin, Kimberley Blake, Ali Goldsmith, Chihiro Kawasaki, Nitai Levi, and Annie Majin. I truly do not believe that this show would have been the same without them as their performance made this production all the more enjoyable and captivating for me as an audience member.

This is definitely a show to catch whilst it is at the Donmar Warehouse and I am very hopeful that there may be a transfer in the future for this show as the production and cast are absolutely fabulous and need to be seen by as many people as possible!

Content Warnings:

The show has content warnings clearly displayed around the foyer and throughout the theatre, which were as follows:

This performance contains the use of:

Strobe
Haze
Flame
Incense
Feathers
Loud Noises

The day before seeing the show, I received an email from Donmar Warehouse with a content advice section which was as follows:

This production contains:

Strobe Lighting
Flashing Lights
Live Flame
Incense
Feathers
Haze
Guns
Gunshot Sound Effects

This show contains scenes that some people may find difficult to watch. Read the content advice for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 here: https://www.donmarwarehouse.com/pQKjYTJ/content-advice--natasha--pierre---the-great-comet-of-1812?dm_i=6V20,Y2LO,3HZ6RW,4AA0F,1

This link goes on to provide more content advice in the form of a drop-down section with a spoiler warning and the content warnings in this section are as follows:

References to mental illness and kidnapping
Depictions of excessive alcohol consumption, gun violence and a suicide attempt
Use of racist and xenophobic language including a derogatory term for Romani people
Sexual references

This webpage also has a link to the visual story document for the show: https://www.donmarwarehouse.com/cms_files/File/Comet%20Visual%20Story.pdf

The show did have moments that I made note of that I felt would be worth mentioning, these moments were as follows:

Drug use
References to depression

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

- AnxiousTheatregoer