REVIEW: This Girl by Mike Howl at The Gatehouse / Camden Fringe 30 Jul - 2 Aug

‘Truly about Cynthia Lennon, it is also a piece of musical theatre that many would love to hear’ ★★★★

As a long-time fan of the Beatles, I was keen to hear a story that was less familiar: that of Cynthia Lennon, performed beautifully by Emily Guilfoyle.

John Lennon (Marky Reader) and Paul McCartney (Jake Roberts) open with displays of their youth and friendship and love of music, performing on their guitars. The story begins with how Cynthia met John, fell in love as young people who were unknowns living in Liverpool, got pregnant, married secretly at the advice of Brian Epstein (Kevin Thomas) and then became among the most famous people alive. There were signs that things would not end well between them, and Cynthia had warnings about this “teddy boy”, from friends, John’s Aunt Mimi (Geraldine Moloney Judge), who took John in aged 17 when his mother died, and even from John’s own behaviour. Yet, young and naive, she could not resist the magnetic power of the now-acclaimed singer-songwriter who led the Beatles to music history.

At least, that is the impression given from the opening scenes. In the midst of these scenes, an older Cynthia (Roxanne Male) pops in and out, giving context and backstory at times, looking sorrowfully at the couple. As time goes on, the idyllic early days slip away, and we see from afar the evolution of their lives, with the death of Stuart Sutcliffe (Dominic Cummings, no not that one) and the peeling away of the relationship between Cynthia and John, who struggled to be a good parent to their son.

The musical compilation is brilliant and perfectly timed in terms of number of songs, length, and pacing. The audience started getting into the tunes from the beginning, and it offered a sense of the timeline, starting from a group performance of Blue Suede Shoes and carrying on with beautifully crafted original songs. Reader evokes moments of the famed musician as he brandishes his guitar and the attire (including the glasses) that John would have worn at the time. Guilfoyle’s voice is powerful and controlled, with remarkable range. She gives the impression of a giddy and besotted schoolgirl, even in her later years, despite much disappointment in their lives together. The inevitable scene of John’s death had to come, and was handled subtly, with merely a voice recording of a man asking him for an autograph.

Lighting and sound were managed adeptly, but the placement of three bulky raised stages could be improved as it resulted in a few clumsy moments, such as a dropped guitar and a couple of awkward entrances.

The ending felt slightly drawn out to give an extra moment to provide evidence of how much better of a parent Cynthia was than John to their son Julian (Lee Clotworthy), who makes a surprisingly late entrance (one of the audience members exclaimed, “Who’s that?”), and to demonstrate that Cynthia found true love in the end, in Barbados, in the form of a long-time friend of her son, Noel Charles (Addae Gaskin). Nevertheless, it provides a touching closure.

Despite being under the shadow of a legend, this story truly is about Cynthia Lennon. It is about a woman who finds her voice, through the fierceness of motherhood and the sorrow of loss. It is also a piece of musical theatre that many would love to hear and clap their hands along.

Performed by Emily Guilfoyle, Marky Reader, Abbie Reader, Dominic Cummings, Kevin Thomas, Geraldine Moloney Judge, Jake Roberts, Lee Clotworthy, Ellie Spencer, Roxanne Male, Addae Gaskin, Mike Howl, Mark Reader

Book here https://camdenfringe.com/events/this-girl-the-cynthia-lennon-story/

Written by Mike Howl

Original Songs by Frankie Connor, Alan Crowley, Billy Kinsley

Directed by Mike Howl

Musical Director: Mark (Strider) Reader

Choreographer: Beverley Norris Edmunds

Sound and Lights: Ian McMillan

Reviewed by Mariam Mathew