The musical, La Cage Aux Folles, is based on the French play by Jean Poiret of the same name and was first produced on Broadway in 1983.
Set in a cabaret drag club in Saint-Tropez, the story revolves around the owner of the club, Georges, and his partner Albin, the club’s star performer.
Sounds familiar? You might be thinking of the 1996 film starring Robin Williams – The Birdcage – a popular remake of the original 1978 film version.
Film versions aside, the original show’s theme song went on to become an anthem for New York’s gay community during the beginnings of the Aids epidemic in the early 1980s.
The plot is predictable and the music relies on variations of the key songs but the current version at the Chocolate Factory succeeds by recreating rather then reinventing the original concept.
Terry Johnson has directed a piece of theatre that is absorbing from the moment the front doors to the theatre open.
David Farley has decked out the auditorium in kitsch cabaret style, allowing the dancers to flirt, getting up close and personal with the front rows of the audience, whose seating extends right up to the stage. Rather than an orchestra pit, the musicians are squashed onto balconies either side of the stage. Walking through a hallway covered in red velvet and multi-coloured fairy lights, I immediately felt like I had stepped into another world.
The choreography and dazzling costumes work particularly well with the compact space. ‘Les Cagelles’ provided an excess of energy and entertainment from the opening through to the bows.
The casting of the show alone should bring in the crowds, though on the night I visited I was unable to view the acclaimed Douglas Hodge as Albin. Instead, Spencer Stafford’s performance was solid, yet felt slightly stilted. His vocal performance was strong but lacked emotional depth for his rendition of ‘I Am What I Am’. His performance didn’t compare to the empathy and devotion displayed by Phillip Quast in ‘Song on the Sand’.
A glamorous Tara Hugo oozes sophistication. Una Stubbs is perfect as an overly enthusiastic and supportive wife partnering her uptight husband. And Jason Pennycooke’s ridiculous antics as a camp employee and his perfect comic timing earn him his laughs.
La Cage Aux Folles is an enjoyable night out, especially if coupled with a pre show meal in the cozy restaurant upstairs. While the camp factor may not be to everyone’s taste, if you are looking for a show filled with sequins, sparkle and a ‘happily ever after’ ending you can’t do much better then Menier’s latest offering.
La Cage Aux Folles runs at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London until 8 March 2008 – but all dates are currently sold out.
