This whimsical love story will leave you spellbound
Amélie
The Other Palace, London SW1 ★★★★☆
Amélie was the hit 2001 French film that spawned a thousand incorrectly accented English girls’ names. A modern-day retro fairy tale of quirkiness set in Montmartre, it made a star of the elfin Audrey Tautou. Perhaps the only wonder is that it has taken so long to come to the British stage in musical form.
But after an American premiere in 2015 and an acclaimed British opening at the Watermill in Newbury earlier this year, the show from Craig Lucas (book), Nathan Tysen and Daniel Messé (music and lyrics) arrives in London. It boasts the ideal actress to play the titular whimsy pixie; French-canadian Audrey Brisson is an unending – and tuneful – delight as Amélie Poulain, whose sheltered childhood has led her to become a reclusive dreamer, plotting kind deeds for the café full of eccentrics where she works. Fellow oddball Nino (Chris Jared) might be the one for her, if ever the two of them could meet properly and not just in encounters by the photo booths at railway stations.
A talented company of actormusicians makes fine work of the gently melancholy score that, bien sûr, features accordions. One of the few problems arises from the fact that the accompaniment too often drowns out the lyrics, an obstacle when a lot of the narrative comes from the songs.
There’s a wonderfully wistful sense to Michael Fentiman’s production; it takes gumption for a musical to be this dialled-down. It’s a strategy that is amply rewarded by a satisfying depth and texture and all-round rapt holding of audience breath when Amélie and Nino finally get the chance to sing at each other. Madeleine Girling’s playful design evokes a French bistro as well as a station and the two onstage pianos ingeniously open up to become a tobacconist’s counter, a grocer’s stall and a display case in the sex shop where Nino works. Yes, sex shop. Even charming whimsy requires the occasional dose of grit.
Until Feb 1. Tickets: 020 7087 7900; theotherpalace.co.uk