THE SOUND OF MUSIC
KING’S THEATRE, GLASGOW
MOST of the key elements were there but somehow this production lacked the heart that has made it one of the country’s favourite musicals.
The whole show just didn’t flow as well as it might have and superfluous scenes only added to the feeling of lethargy.
For anyone who has been living on Jupiter, The Sound of Music charts the story of a young novice nun who becomes governess to a brood of children but ends up falling for their father as the Nazi menace begins to annexe Austria.
The children’s father, no friend of the Third Reich, has to leave his beloved homeland in a hurry with his new wife and children. But escape from the Nazis isn’t easy. Normally the nuns ensemble are the show stealers and while Megan Llewellyn was in fine voice as the Mother Abbess, her sisters seemed lost. Lucy O’Byrne, who was runner-up on The Voice 2015, has the skills to make a good Maria. But she took a while to grow into the part. Neil McDermott as Captain von Trapp, however, was the star of the show. And while the actor may seem too young and handsome to play von Trapp, he is two years older than Christopher Plummer was when he starred alongside Julie Andrews. McDermott’s skilful mannerisms and voice convinced us all he was a far more mature actor but the biggest shock was when the former EastEnders star opened his mouth to sing with a rich baritone voice.
At the other end of the scale, the Sixteen Going On Seventeen duet between Rolf and Liesl was horrible.
Instead of a tender teen romance, it was uncomfortably aggressive with the words “you wait, little girl, on an empty stage” sounding more of a threat than a gentle tease.
It may not be the best version of the show but the clutch of cute kids and their even cuter father save it from disaster. ●Run at King’s Theatre ends tomorrow. It’s at Edinburgh Playhouse from February 20-24.