THEATRE REVIEW: An Officer And A Gentleman - The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford.

 

It is always exciting when something completely new comes your way. So, when the opportunity came long to see a musical version of 'An Officer And A Gentleman', I simply could not refuse. Over the last couple of decades or so there has been an absolute glut of musical adaptations of cult or hit films from yesteryear, and one would also think that the genre of jukebox musical had been run completely dry by now too; so although the musical itself might be new, the idea, the music, and indeed the story are all worn and tired. Something spectacular needed to happen on stage this evening then for this show to be the hit that it promised to be. 

As a complete aside, something quite extraordinary did happen this evening, but not in the way that anyone would either have wanted or expected. The lead role of Lynette this evening was being played by Sinead Long, that is until half-way through the second act when the Stage Manager announced that due to her sudden indisposition, her understudy would be continuing, and so after a brief 10 minute hiatus, the show resumed with Etisyai Philip taking over the role. 

I know that I have seen the film, only once, when it first came out some 40 years' ago, and remember not really wanting to watch it again. However, that was then, and I had completely forgotten the storyline and characters, and so, as far as anyone is concerned, I was watching this story unfold for the first time this evening. It is a very formulaic and predictable story, and has nothing to say that has not bee said a zillion times before in books, films, etc. All the cast were talented and as an ensemble worked well together, but failed to truly inspire or engage. It was not due to a lack of energy, for that was in plentiful supply, it was simply that they failed to bring the audience into their world and their story. Act one was very lame and the applause was reserved and polite. Act two did get better as the story became more involved and the songs and immediacy of the denouement brought the audience together more and we became more interested and concerned. By the end of the show the audience were completely engaged, but it should not have taken 2.5 hours to get there! 

There were a few reasons I think for this lack of engagement. First, there was very little chemistry between both sets of leads. Yes, they acted being in love, but we did not truly believe it. The acting and singing were proficient and the story was told easily, but there were no sparks, no missed heartbeats. Second, some of the cast had a rather disturbing habit of looking out directly at the audience. Some dialogue and some singing were performed in this way and it was most distracting and spoilt the illusion. I know it is a complete exaggeration but I almost expected them to start waving to family members in the audience at one point! The costuming and whole idea of the show was too clinical. There was no dirt, no grime, and yet without it, the cleaner, smarter elements of the show did not shine as brightly as they should. 

My final thought and negative point is the set. Michael Taylor's design simply did not work. What we were presented with was a grey, metallic box of tubes and mesh rising high and square on the three sides of the stage, with a moveable set of steps in a similar design on wheels. Neon lights sometimes lit shapes and logos giving the audience a clue to the scene / location, but mostly this dystopian monstrosity, which looked much more like something between a nightmarish Jesus Christ Superstar mixed with The Shawshank Redemption, offered neither the grit and deprivation of the slums, nor the clinical and military feel of the Naval Training Facility. It was always dark (too dark) and simply left us needing to use much more imagination and suspension f disbelief than we should have been using.

On reflection, the show was entertaining enough and provided escapism for the evening. It is a rather mixed bag of a show though, and indeed the audience themselves were very mixed in their reactions. Some gave a standing ovation at the end, whilst many others begrudgingly applauded. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 25.3.23