THEATRE REVIEW: She Loves Me - The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

PERFUMERIE: The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
SCENT: She Loves Me
NOTES: Wonderful Romantic Musical Comedy with high notes of Hungarian red roses and vanilla ice-cream.

When a show is this good, and it truly was this good, it is almost impossible to review, since everything you write will sound sycophantic and fawning; but those who know me and how I review, will know that praise of this nature does not come easily.

From the moment I stepped into the thrust-staged auditorium of Sheffield's Crucible Theatre and beheld the incredibly detailed and realistic shop-front set designed by Ben Stones, I knew it was going to be a feast for the senses. Such a shame that a musical about a Budapest Perfume House couldn't have had an olfactory element to it too.  And then, when the set opened out - double-whammy - an audible gasp from the audience, and quite rightly so. 

The Musical, adapted from the play by Miklos Laszlo, by Joe Masteroff, with catchy and clever lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and (if you know your music, then very clever Hungarian classical and folk music influences included in) lovely music by Jerry Bock, is set in an upmarket perfumerie at the end of the 1930s. It is a book musical, and the main story follows Mr Nowack (played with an ease and charm rarely seen in musical theatre these days [everyone has to be "acting"!]) and a certain Amalia Balash with whom he has a letter correspondence - an internet dating site long before such a thing was invented. Unbeknownst to each other, they also happen to be work colleagues, and thus this forms the basis of the comedy. (and the romance).

Everything came together this evening to give the press night audience everything they came for and more. The singing was incredible - Alex Young's (Amalia Balash) high notes and vocal control were Grand Opera-worthy, and sounded superb. The choreography was (considering the size, shape, and dangerously open drops at the edge, of the stage), excellent, thrilling, brave, and executed with split-second timing. The cafe house scene towards the end of act 1 was a true crowd-pleaser, and a real showstopper! The lighting was creative but not over-kill, the sound levels were perfect; costumes were very authentic looking for the country and period of the setting of the show...etc etc

And of course, the entire cast was amazing. Working together as a true ensemble, there simply wasn't an even slight weak link amongst them. Director Robert Hastie injected just the right amount of comedy throughout, and created a show that gave us believable characters in an unbelievable circumstance... Traditional Musical Comedy at its best! Bravo, bravo, bravissimi tutti. 

"Thank you, Sheffield, please play again, do play again, Sheffield".

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 16.12.21