Perhaps we need an occasional, unashamedly populist show with catchy melodies to cut through the tuneless intensity and darkness of most 21st Century musicals?
Identical is based on Erich Kastner’s 1949 novel, The Parent Trap. Identical twins Lottie and Lisa were separated in infancy and brought up by their divorced parents. Neither knows of the other’s existence until, by chance, they meet at summer camp. They agree to swap lives so that each can get to know the unknown parent and to keep in touch by telephone. Eventually, and inevitably in a piece of this sort, nearly three hours and a lot of songs later, they manage to reunite their parents. It’s an implausible outcome but you suspend your disbelief fairly willingly and leave the theatre feeling warmed.
Emily Tierney sings beautifully – a quality of silvery wistfulness – as Lisalotte, the twins’ mother. James Darch is convincing as their musician father and there’s a good scene when he conducts his Hansel and Gretel ballet in Vienna. Also noteworthy in a large, pretty strong cast are Louise Gold as Roza, the nicely characterised housekeeper and Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson as the glitzy but tough ballerina whom the twins’ father almost marries.
Three sets of identical twins have been cast. At the performance I saw, Eden and Emme Patrick gave us flair, energy and feistiness aplenty. There is also impressive duet work with adults.
Between them Robert Jones as set designer and Douglas O’Connell as video designer take us seamlessly between the streets of Munich and Vienna, interiors of houses, summer rural vistas, a station, an airport and much more.
Review by Susan Elkin