REVIEW: Sondheim’s ROAD SHOW at Upstairs at the Gatehouse until 12 January 2025

A musical jaunt into avarice, corruption and the great American Dream’ ★★★ ½ 

Willie and Addie are brothers who promise their father on his deathbed that they will make something of their lives and help build an America fit for the future. So begins a journey that tears them apart and turns their wide-eyed aspiration into a sordid obsession with wealth at any cost. 

Based on the true story of the Mizner brothers, Road Show follows the story of two young men pursuing the American dream, taking them through the Alaskan Gold Rush to the Florida property boom of the 1920s. One brother very quickly succumbs to greed and sleaze, while the other tries to do the “right thing” until he also loses his moral compass in his pursuit of money. 

With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, this production was full of visual surprises and great singing. The ensemble work was top notch, both vocally and in how seamlessly they moved, creating a clear and strong visual story to accompany the music. Reece Richardson’s Wilson (Willie) was vocally strong, and he brought a great balance of sleaze and charm to the part. Rhys Lambert brought a naivety and fragility to his role as Hollis. 

Ruby Boswell Green’s set design was inventive and full of surprises. Harry Styles’ music direction made the most of Sondheim’s tunes. Amanda Noar’s direction was fast paced and made great use of the wonderful set. 

I don’t think many would disagree that this is not one of Sondheim’s best shows. There were no standout tunes that make you leave the theatre humming. While the cast brought energy to their performance, it all felt very flat because the songs did not effectively carry the drama of the story. There was also little variety in the pacing giving the show a one dimensional feel. 

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It’s a shame. A better show would have given the talented cast more to play with, but they did what they could with what they had, and that’s all you can ask of anyone. 

ROAD SHOW at Upstairs at the Gatehouse 12 December 2024 – 12 January 2025

http://bit.ly/seeroadshow

Performer: Reece Richardson, Oliver Sidney, Robert Finlayson, Katherine Strohmaier, Rhys Lambert, Folarin Akinmade, Madeleine Morgan, Emily Friberg

Music and Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Orchestration: Jonathan Tunick

Director and choreographer: Amanda Noar

Associate director: Isaac Bernier-Doyle

Musical director: Harry Style

Set: Ruby Boswell-Green

Costume: Holly Chapman

Lighting: Simon Jackson

Producer: Annlouise Butt

Based on a book by: John Weidman

Reviewer: Srabani Sen

Srabani is a theatre actress and playwright. As an actress she has performed at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (The Globe), the Arcola, Southwark Playhouse, The Pleasance and numerous fringe theatres, in a range of roles from Shakespeare to plays by new and emerging writers. She has written several short and full length plays. Her play Tawaif was longlisted for the ETPEP Finborough award, and her play Vijaya was shortlisted for the Sultan Padamsee Playwrights Award in Mumbai.