REVIEW: REBECCA (Musical) at Charing Cross Theatre, 4 Sept - 18 Nov 2023

‘the fantastic ensemble that really carries the show’ ★★★ ½

There is a certain love affair with Daphne du Maurier’s psychological thriller REBECCA, with several film versions including the master himself, Hitchcock, taking it on, and more recently Netflix. Its most unexpected incarnation is as a musical. Created by a legendary team, Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, the musical started life in German, performed in Vienna in 2006, and has been translated by the illustrious Christopher Hampton.

The recently deceased Rebecca de Winter is faceless and “I”, the young and naive protagonist (Lauren Jones), is nameless ... until she takes Mrs de Winter's name by marrying the wealthy widower and owner of Manderley, Maxim de Winter (Richard Carson). The new Mrs. de Winter doesn’t realize that this alliance will come with numerous Gothic-style misadventures.

At the heart of the gloom is the relatively young but bitingly sinister Mrs. Danvers (Kara Lane), who manages the household and all within it. Danvers’ compulsive loyalty to the dazzling former Mrs. De Winter, Rebecca, who drowned the previous year, holds the key to the story and provides some of the best singing opportunities in the production, with numbers like the eponymous Rebecca, reprised a few times, and Invincible. There is a lovely chemistry between Maxim and his new wife, who plays a mousy main character coming of age and developing a spine to stand up for her man during the direst of circumstances. Both possess strong voices for their roles, but it is the fantastic ensemble that really carries the show.

The ensemble provided incredible energy, some even taking minor speaking roles in this 18-strong cast. Those who stood out were Sarah Harlington, as Maxim’s sister, Beatrice, offering support and consolation, and Shirley Jameson as Mrs. van Hopper, the hideous woman who treats her staff horribly. It is the ensemble who provide the comic relief in the show and give insight into their views of the main characters. The choreography (Ron Howell) is a buffet for the eyes, as the ensemble moved sets, furniture, and put humour and insight into their pieces.

Rebecca is an ambitious undertaking for its various settings and the opulence of Manderley. The set in this production was intricately engineered to be adaptable for scene changes, often adjusted by the adept ensemble. Though the staging doesn’t fully provide that full ambience, the projections (Matt Powell) add fire, ocean and impending shadows which really enhance the experience.

The musical score boasted over two dozen new pieces with themes carried through which were enjoyable, with brief moments reminiscent of Phantom of the Opera or the duet between Valjean and Javert in LES MISERABLES. Though they won’t be as memorable as those, there are lyrics which move the story along and give some idea of motivation of characters. The orchestra was absolutely on point, though somewhat muffled without a direct outlet to the audience.

Not a perfect production, there were some amusing faults: an overzealous fog machine, a very limited wardrobe for the new Mrs. de Winter (one outfit for the first act, replaced by another in the second despite large swaths of time passing), and moments which were unintentionally comical, including the scene where Mrs Danvers, walks around like her eyes are stuck open with toothpicks, in her attempts to look menacing. I had a little chuckle.

This musical takes a well-loved story and gives us more to love, though I am still asking myself if it needed to be made into a musical. Perhaps those who adore this spine-tingling story that works its way into our minds would enjoy the music that worms its way into our ears.

Photography: Mark Senior

REBECCA (Musical) at Charing Cross Theatre, 4 Sept - 18 Nov 2023

Box Office https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/rebecca

Musical by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay

English Adaptation: Christopher Hampton

Performed by Richard Carson, Lauren Jones, Kara Lane, Emily Apps, Piers Bate, David Breeds, Melanie Bright, Nigel-Joseph Francis, Rosie Glossup, Sarah Harlington, Alex James-Ward, Shirley Jameson, Nicholas Lumley, Gail Mackinnon, James Mateo-Salt, Scott McClure, Neil Moors, Tarisha Rommick, Elliot Swann

Directed by Alejandro Bonatto

Musical Direction and Supervision: Robert Scott

Production Design: Nicky Shaw

Lighting Design: David Seldes

Sound Design: Andrew Johnson

Projection Design: Matt Powell

Reviewed by Mariam Mathew