At the Prince of Wales Theatre, in the Delfont Room was a late night production of Edges, presented by New Bard Productions Ltd.
It had been advertised as Edges contemporary musical, but those who know of Pasek & Paul may also know Edges to be a song cycle – which can be described as a series of songs loosely based on the same theme.
The theme of Edges was the stories of 20-something year olds coming of age, with the songs ranging from being funny to moving, with subjects from love, denial, Facebook addiction, and being afraid to grow up.
Pasek & Paul had written Edges in 2005, while they were at university and experiencing the coming of age issues themselves.
The cast were Emma Hatton (Wicked, We Will Rock You), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Les Misérables, Mary Poppins)
Michael Vinsen (Book of Mormon, Legally Blonde),Niall Sheehy (Miss Saigon, Les Misérables).
They were joined on the stage in the Delfont room by Musical Director Ellie Verkerkon on piano, a guitarist and a drummer. The stage looked a bit cramped, but they made it work.
The cast sang together on three numbers, and for the other times there was a mix of solos and duets, and transitions where three would be on stage.
Edges included 19 songs, notably left out was the most controversial song from Edges “in Short” which I was told after the performance that this was a conscious decision as it may have been too much for this show in this space. The closing number “Like Breathing” was chosen as it complimented the opening number “become”, where all of the cast were on stage.
The cast were flawless in their singing, and in the Delfont Room there is no space to hide. The harmonies between the cast were a joy to hear, and the comedy moments in the songs were brilliant. Maybe the more emotional tracks could have done with some character back-story to help create the mood.
Emma Hatton has one of the most soulful voices in the West End. It was so lovely to hear her sing something different, with the Jazzy piano and score leaving me imagining Emma on stage at Ronnie Scotts. Michael Vinsen who I have not seen before, made me smile with his smooth vocals too. Niall and Carrie’s Version of ” I hmm you” was the right amount of cute and moving. They both played the young 20-somethings like a dream. Only made cuter when Niall came to Carrie’s rescue to bring the microphone stand down in Carrie’s next solo number. Carries response of “thanks I hmm you” was very quick and very in keeping with character.
Edges provided a very enjoyable evening. I could quite easily put the tunes I heard tonight on my ipod, just as they were performed. I Look forward to seeing what New Bard Productions Ltd bring to us next, and I would be more than happy to see any of these cast on stage any time.
Review by Bonnie Britain
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