STUDENT THEATRE REVIEW: Evita - The Venue, Leeds Conservatoire, Leeds.

This evening I had the pleasure of seeing one of my favourite musicals performed by the talented and highly energetic second year students on the BA (Hons) Musicial Theatre degree course at Leeds Conservatoire. 

Not performed so much these days, this Lloyd-Webber / Tim Rice collaboration, tells the story of Eva Peron (nee Duarte), who became Argentina's First Lady and despite rumours of corruption and embezzlement, was taken to the hearts of the Argentine public, who nicknamed her 'Evita', and made her into something of a living saint. 

Originally starring Elaine Paige on the West End, there's still one song from this show which has entered Musical Theatre Immortality, and is often used as a stamd-alone piece for concerts and showcases ['Don't Cry For Me Argentina']; but for anyone who has ever had anything to do with this show, they will know that it has so much more to offer than just one song; it's brimming with passion, ambition, politics and hope, and is a true-to-life story into the bargain

The students in this production did not have an easy task ahead of them, performing it, as they did, infront of a large live band, on a bare, undecorated, floor space. There was no set, and hardly any props used for this show, and so the audience was given absolutely no help in being able to set each scene in any location. For a first-timer of the show, I imagine it must have been almost impossible to have known the locations for every scene. The Venue does have a balcony around the audience area, with raised seating on the balcony; and so a few of the scenes (or parts thereof) were acted on the far sides (nearest to the band) of this balcony. It was far from ideal, but the students embraced it wholeheartedly and made it work. 

There are few principal roles in this musical, and so, this being a student production, the roles of both Eva and Che had been shared out somewhat. The three stages in Eva's life and career were portaryed by three different actresses: Eva Duarte was Josie Tapp; Eva Peron was Margherita Mainetti, whilst Evita was Anna McGowan. The role of Che - an observer, commentator, narrator, manipulator - was split between five performers: Ciaran Walker, Brandon Filler, Lucy Smith, Phoebe Greaves, and Ryan Chatton. The effect that this casting had on the show was most interesting; it obfuscated the characterisations and the storyline, making it more confusing for the audience to follow, and yet, at the same time allowed different aspects of both Evita and Che to flourish at different points in the story. Tapp provided us with youthfulness, opportunism, sexual allure, and I was looking forward to seeing the actress grow as the show progressed, wanting to watch the arc of her characterisation. However, just as her chaarcter gains her business-like adulthood stage, she is then taken by a second actress whom we have not seen grow into that role. McGowan brought a serenity and gravitas to the role which had not previously been there. Personally I would have preferred to have seen just one Che and one Eva throughout, whilst the others would have the chance of performing the entire parts on a separate performance. However, the choice was (not) mine, (not) mine completely...! (a-hem!)

The quality of the acting however was never in question, with every single performer giving their absolute alls to this show. The energy levels were sometimes so high, they were palpable, even in the balcony. The singing was also excellent, and I enjoyed the chorus singing and the harmonies they created greatly. Harriet Spence's choreography was mostly enjoyable too. There were a couple of occasions (I have to be honest) where I felt the moves didn't quite respresent the mood or lyrics as effectively as they could have done, but I loved the tango-esque dances of both 'Buenos Aires' and 'The Money Kept Rolling In', whilst the tango pas-de-deux in the first act performed by the only male dancer and his partner was truly beautiful. 

Elliot Broadfoot was a slow-moving, calculating, thinking Peron. 'Dangerous Jade' was almost Machievellian in concept, and I really enjoyed his interpretation of 'She's A Diamond'. Whilst Edward Smellie and Emily Ridge breathed life and heart into their respective characters of Magaldi and Peron's Mistress. 

Directed by Sam Spencer-Lane, there was a good use of available space, and the changes between scenes were slick. The 'change-overs' of Evitas was clever, as they were 'referenced' in the illness scenes of the older Eva. I also enjoyed the way some of the lyrics had been slowed down and emphasised in a way not normally done with the professional show, making certain aspects of the plot and / or characters more defined. Much judicious cutting of the score had been done to allow for a 110 minute running time, shaving some 20 minutes from the show, without losing any of the major plot points. 

The large band were also students at The Conservatoire, and were all proficient and skilled musicians, that much was clear. There were times though when the balance between (orchestral) sections was incorrect, especially with the percussion section. However, both orchestral and rock opera genres were nicely juxtaposed, creating the right sounds and style for each song adroitly. 

All-in-all, this was a powerful, no-holes-barred, punchy production, full of youthful energy and enthusiasm, which carried the show inexorably forward, ably showcasing the multi-faceted abilities of the students, and making for a hugely enjoyable production. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 31.5.22