THE COLOR PURPLE

Curveonline.co.uk until March 7

BASED on Alice Walker’s novel of 1982, which inspired the Spielberg film, this musical follows Celie, a young black woman in the rural 1930s Deep South.

The themes are frequently dark and brutal; Leicester Curve’s production too often pulls its punches but Celie’s light shines brightly by the redemptive, cathartic end.

T’shan Williams is powerful and sensitive in the lead role, her journey starting in unimaginable misery – sexual abuse at home then her two babies taken from her before she is forced into an unhappy marriage.

But a witty trio of local gossips provide commentary and necessary light relief throughout. And Celie finds inspiration, friendship and, finally, sexual comfort with bewitching lounge singer Shug (Carly Mercedes Dyer). She gets some of the best numbers, from the quietly gorgeous Too Beautiful For Words to the stomp and grind of Push Da Button. The pair wrap up the first act with the entwined harmonies of What About Love?

The second act charts Celie’s rise to independence and self-belief, which pours out in the roof-raising I’m Here, all her broken pieces making her magnificent. The demands of social distancing impact on some of the most intimate and emotional moments but there is palpable heart and soul in the deeply moving group finale.