Follies — the musical brought back to life at London’s National Theatre
London’s National Theatre is well-known for its varied programme including everything from reimagining Shakespeare to supporting contemporary playwrights, as well as a willingness to remain original and take theatrical risks. One of its most recent productions — a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1971 musical Follies — is no exception, and the risks of staging a show without an intermission, very little plot, the need for a huge production budget and a cast of thirty-seven is a brilliant addition to its portfolio of challenging the expected in modern musical theatre.
I watched this production through National Theatre Live when it was aired at my local cinema. The scheme is a wonderful way for people unable to easily attend large-scale, professional theatre like that of the West End to experience some of the best of it, and it has previously featured shows such as Twelfth Night and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. In reflection, the atmosphere of such a complexly-staged and -composed, musical production would likely be more fulfilling in a theatre, especially as in its most climactic moments the band were overly loud and the performers’ microphones were too quiet. However, as so much hooks on the characters in this particular show and therefore their expressions and movement, the impeccable views and close-ups you could never achieve in the theatre made up for this.
This revival of Follies has received a wave of excellent reviews including five stars from the Guardian and the Independent. Based on the real Ziegfeld Follies, it follows a reunion of showgirl performers from the musical revue, Weismann’s Follies, who played between the two World Wars in New York. One of its most surprising and refreshing aspects is that the majority of characters are middle-aged, which provides an unparalleled opportunity for older actors on a large scale as opposed to featured roles. The principal four are two couples, Buddy and Sally and Ben and Phyllis, who all experience what could be described as midlife crises over the course of the evening which the musical portrays. In the introductory video played before the NT Live streaming of the show, composer Stephen Sondheim discussed the highly-debated topic of the lack of a true plot. The book instead focuses on capturing an evening and shared experience of many lives, as opposed to following a traditional narrative structure.
In this production, I thought this was used to particularly great effect, with the character focus shaping the story as we follow four people fall from grace and marriage. Modern musicals often lack this focus — especially those which feature similar grandeur in choreography, staging and scale — but in Follies, the development of a range of characters was arguably displayed as its most important element. This was really brought to life by the leading actors, including Imelda Staunton, who expertly captured the continuing naiveté and increasingly unsettled mind of ex-Folly Sally, with sweetness and fervour. Her rendition of Losing My Mind was poignant, touching and even disturbing at times, just as it should be. Philip Quast was stunning as Ben — in Live, Laugh, Love, I thought the actor rather than the character had forgotten his lines! — and portrayed the struggle of a man trying to quantify and even to feel emotion with an amazing authenticity.
Several actors also stood out in featured roles, such as 78-year-old Josephine Barstow singing with the younger version of her character in One More Kiss; her vocal tone and control in her advanced years were astonishing and inspirational. Tracie Bennett gave a powerful performance as one of the few successful Follies, film star Carlotta Campion, with the musical standard I’m Still Here and I thought in particular, in a scene where she rejected a drunk Ben with a mix of gentleness, humour and wistfulness. Such actors bring audiences the opportunity to witness several generations of British theatrical talent in unexpected quantities, and this only added to Follies’ wonderful spectacle.
The production’s use of younger versions of the characters was very effective, providing contrast and additional meaning to many scenes often without another word of dialogue. This was beautifully achieved by those of the four principals, who developed the themes of reflection and regret as they observed their older counterparts making mistakes and conflicting with their youthful ideals. Young Phyllis, played by Zizi Strallen, drew the eye away from the leading actors with her piercing dismay at watching herself develop as an unfaithful wife and solitary figure. The way this concept was introduced — through subtleties of mirroring costume, hair and physicality, but not a vocal reference to it — made the few interactions between the two versions of these characters all the more impact. Creative direction and acting choices shone as Buddy, played by Peter Forbes, pushed his counterpart aside through time in attempt to stop him pursuing Sally and the road to his present day life.
Without a doubt, the direction, acting and flamboyant staging brought this revival of Follies to life with the best of the musical’s contrasts; highlighting its clashes of fame, beauty and naiveté with pining for the past, mid-life crises and the often harsh realities of growing older and the truths of marriage. Sondheim surely would be proud of his classic mix of tongue-tying, frank lyrics and musical pastiche having been portrayed with such zeal. It will certainly result in a revival of Follies’ popularity and introduce it to a new generation of theatre-goers, and will hopefully remind them that modern musical theatre with little plot can continue to challenge the form, and not just become an addition to the many jukebox musicals of the West End.
Edited by Cheyenne Abrams
