LondonTheatre1

London Theatre: Tickets Reviews | News | West End | Off-West End | UK Touring Productions

View All Shows Booking Now
  • Home
  • Top Selling Shows
    • Musicals
    • Plays
      • A Christmas Carol
      • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
      • The Mousetrap
      • The Woman in Black
      • Witness for the Prosecution
    • & Juliet
    • Back To The Future
    • Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
    • Come From Away
    • Dirty Dancing
    • Frozen The Musical
    • Heathers
    • Jersey Boys
    • Les Misérables
    • Mamma Mia
    • Matilda the Musical
    • My Fair Lady
    • Moulin Rouge
    • Only Fools and Horses
    • Pretty Woman the Musical
    • The Book of Mormon
    • The Drifters Girl
    • The Lion King
    • The Phantom of the Opera
    • Tina the Musical
    • Wicked
    • London Theatres
      • Seating Plans
      • Adelphi Theatre
      • Ambassadors Theatre
      • Apollo Theatre
      • Duke of York’s Theatre
      • Fortune Theatre
      • Gillian Lynne Theatre
      • Harold Pinter Theatre
      • Lyceum Theatre
      • New Wimbledon Theatre
      • New Wimbledon Theatre Studio
      • Piccadilly Theatre
      • Richmond Theatre
      • Savoy Theatre
      • Trafalgar Theatre
  • News
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • UK Shows
    • Alexandra Theatre
    • Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
    • Brighton Theatre Royal
    • Bristol Hippodrome
      • Bristol Theatre Seating Plan
    • Edinburgh Playhouse
    • Glasgow Theatre Royal
    • Grand Opera House York
    • King’s Theatre Glasgow
    • Kit Kat Club London
    • Leas Cliff Hall
    • Liverpool Empire
    • Manchester Opera House
    • Manchester Palace Theatre
    • Milton Keynes Theatre
    • New Theatre Oxford
    • New Victoria Theatre Woking
    • New Wimbledon Theatre
    • New Wimbledon Theatre Studio
    • Princess Theatre Torquay
    • Regent Theatre Stoke
    • Rhoda McGaw Theatre
    • Richmond Theatre
    • Stockton Globe
    • Sunderland Empire
    • Swansea Arena
    • Victoria Hall Hanley Stoke
  • Dancewear
  • Newsletter
Home » Musicals » Merrily We Roll Along Harold Pinter Theatre

Merrily We Roll Along Harold Pinter Theatre

May 2, 2013 Last updated: April 9, 2021 10:48 pm By Natasha

Review of Merrily We Roll Along at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

When a popular show transfers from an ‘Off-West End’ theatre to a mainstream West End theatre, expectations are always high and questions surround the production; Will it pull in a big enough audience? Will the intimacy of a small space be lost in a big theatre? Will the cast project the original sentiment across the bigger auditorium? And so on. Proving to be a hit with audiences at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Maria Friedman’s Merrily We Roll Along, faces these questions as it begins it’s run in its new home at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Personally, I don’t think anyone has anything to worry about.

Boasting one of Stephen Sondheim’s most melodic and harmonious scores, Merrily tells the story of three best friends, in reverse, starting in the 1970s and tracing back to the late 1950s where their friendship began. Focusing mainly on the character of Franklin Shepard, played by Mark Umbers, the audience is taken back through his journey to his success, and what he sacrificed to get there. This unique style of story telling makes Merrily a captivating and thought provoking production.

Mark Umbers is a true West End leading man, taking the role of Franklin with ease. He sails through the production showing charm, passion and tenacity. His performance is captivating, emotional and most importantly, truthful. Vocally, Umbers’ dulcet tones lend themselves perfectly to Sondheim’s complex score.

Appearing as Franklin’s collaborator and one third of the trio is Damian Humbley as lyricist Charley Kringas. Shying away from the limelight and in doing so, distancing himself from his best friend, Humbley by no means fades into the background of this production. His vocals have a wonderful smooth, velvety quality that soar through the auditorium, particularly in the Act II song ‘Good Thing Going’. The audience clearly sees the inner struggle of a man torn between the love for his best friend and his own love of writing, Humbley is a pleasure to watch.

Making up the final part of the trio is Jenna Russell as the once successful writer Mary Flynn. A lesson in honest, all-encompassing acting, Russell pours her heart into this role as she shows her loyalty, and not-so-secret love for Franklin. She is comedic, heart-felt and the glue that holds the three together through life. Russell, Umbers and Humbley, have real camaraderie on stage and easily recreate Sondheim’s sumptuous harmonies. Individually I cannot fault these three wonderful actors and as a trio, they are fantastic to watch.

Supporting Umbers, Humbley and Russell is a hugely talented cast with not one single weak link. Worth mentioning are Josefina Gabrielle and Clare Foster. Gabrielle holds her own as the vampy Gussie Carnegie, while Foster plays Franklin’s wife, Beth, with such enthusiasm and sincerity that at times me heart broke for her.

Maria Friedman has done a wonderful job in directing this show, effortlessly transporting the audience backwards through time. The design team plays a big part in this too with slight changes in décor and costume depicting the change in decade. Together as a company, the cast of Merrily has the audience hooked from the very first opening bars. A slick production that has transferred to the Harold Pinter seamlessly on an exclusive 12 week season. I cannot recommend it enough.

Principal cast: Franklin Shepard – Mark Umbers, Charley Kringas – Damian Humbley, Mary Flynn – Jenna Russell

Review by Natasha Wynn @natasha_wynn

Booking From: Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Booking Until: Saturday, 27 July 2013
Running Time: 2 Hours 45 Minutes

Thursday 2nd May 2013

Tagged With: HaroldPinterTheatre

Comments

  1. Avatar for Paul ToulsonPaul Toulson says

    June 2, 2013 at 7:38 pm

    An outstanding production A MUST SEE!!

Search for Tickets
CYANIDE IN THE SPEAKEASY - IMMERSIVE MURDER MYSTERY

Othello: A Frantic Assembly production, co-produced with Curve

Like The Merchant of Venice, with its profound antisemitism, and the misogynistic Taming of the Shrew, Othello is one of Shakespeare’s most … [Read More...]

Have I None by Edward Bond at the Golden Goose Theatre

If the situation in Have I None is really going to be what the future is like, I don’t want it. Sara (Abigail Stone) is cooped up at home, and the … [Read More...]

The Best Pints at The Hope Theatre, London

Male bonding contains seeds of sacrifice and understanding to rival any Christian religion's tenets of divine hope and compassion. And in a play about … [Read More...]

The Shawshank Redemption UK Tour

I hugely enjoyed The Shawshank Redemption. This 2009 adaptation by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns is based not on the 1994 Columbia Movie but on Stephen … [Read More...]

The Elephant Song at Park Theatre

This play is, I must admit, intriguing stuff. Michael Aleen (Gwithian Evans) is a patient in a secure psychiatric hospital - and that is the correct … [Read More...]

London Theatre 1 and London Theatre One are Registered Trademarks Copyright 2023 www.LondonTheatre1.com
By using our website you’re confirming that you’re happy to accept our use of cookies.
Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising - About Us - Newsletter - Contact Us

As an Amazon Associate our website receives a commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.