This evening, The Lowry Studios hosted Leo & Hyde’s ‘The Marriage Of Kim K’. Set in a young couple's living room, The Marriage Of Kim K brings to life the joys of reality TV and the works of Mozart. A musical, I never knew I needed in my life until now. Set over the course of 72 minutes we see, famous queen of Instagram, Kim Kardashian and her former husband Kris Hughes navigate the beginnings of marriage and the bombardment of calls from future husband Kanye West. Whilst on the other hand the Countess tries to save her marriage through the use of ridiculous 17th century schemes and planning all the while her husband the Count, pines over the metaphorical mistress that is Suzanne.
Watching both marriages unfold through the lens of a TV screen are Amanda and Mike, completely opposite characters who in turn find it harder to ignore or cope with their differences that are pushing them apart. Nearing their third anniversary Mike has only one thing on his mind and Amanda couldn’t imagine anything else. All three relationships unfold throughout the play showing the audience that there isn’t much difference when it comes to love; whether your living in the 17th century or the 21st century, whether you're a humble couple, star-crossed lovers or a reality TV dream. Love is never a smooth ride.
Rebecca Mcauley did an excellent job playing the role of Amanda, her girl next door look was perfect for the role. Mcauley was able to capture the audience with her whitty yet sensitive behaviour. At one point I heard an audience member proclaim “Aw she’s a nurse, that’s incredible” when Mcauley came out in her blue uniform, this response perfectly summed up the immersion she had created as the character. Another amazing quality Mcauley has is her beautiful singing voice, which made me want to duet with her!
Opposite Mcauley, Jack Herauville played the devoted Mike. Herauville's portrayal of Mike's character was loved by each member of the audience, his spontaneous, slightly goofy character reminded us what we loved about being in love! A recent graduate from the Liverpool Institute for Performing. Arts, Herauville showed us just how incredibly talented he was!
Next John Ieuan Jones was a clear favourite in the audience! His operatic performance blew us away, whilst his humour and tenacity stole the show! The Count was hilariously brilliant and he showed us that even in the 17th century you can’t win them all! Each moment we saw Jones was golden!
Charlotte Trepess and Ben Storey also performed beautifully alongside their co-cast. Trepess as the countess had me empathising with her hurt and betrayal whilst cheering on her empowerment nearing the end! Storey on the other hand played the role of Kris Humphries fantastically. His Barbie doll Ken performance had me reminiscing the early 2000s.
Finally, I must admit Megan Postle was incredible as the character of Kim Kardashian! I honestly couldn’t believe the likeness, the vocal range and the talent this girl has! Incredibly she gave a stereotypical 2D character a backstory, a vision and a beautiful heart that was shown throughout! Each moment of Postle on stage was ridiculously brilliant! A great show from all.
Finally, I would like to credit the back stage crew who marvellously made this production what it was. Ed Saunders' Lighting Design took me from my audience seat into a virtual reality, his use of colours and spotlights compliments Caitlyn Mawhinney’s Stage Design which was simple yet elegant. Each side of the stage represented what the play was about perfectly and the contrast in act two was a very welcomed change for its audience.
Gina Hallums, Daniel Masson and Sam Gee layered together this wonderful musical that kept me engaged throughout and never bored. The intricacy of mixed operatic music with house and techno gave a modern twist to the composers' touch. Director Francisca Ery, showed her flare and expertise throughout the whole piece, so many moments were beautiful and delicate whilst others were grungy and comedic. This could have easily been a miss, however her direction showed no bounds and won the audience over within the first 10 minutes.
Reviewer - Caroline Bleakley
on - 15/11/19
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