Bonnie & Clyde The Musical (Streamed) Review
Frances Mayli McCann (Bonnie) and Jeremy Jordan (Clyde) Written by Annie for Theatre & Tonic
The day has finally arrived for the release of the highly anticipated concert production of Bonnie & Clyde The Musical. Recorded over the two day staged concert in January 2022 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the musical has since propelled into huge popularity in the UK.
Starring Jeremy Jordan as Clyde Barrow, who originated the role on Broadway in 2011, and Frances Mayli McCann’s Bonnie Parker debut, who then went on to play the role during a tremendously successful run at the Arts Theatre from during Summer 2022. The show wonderfully introduced UK audiences to the wonder that is Bonnie and Clyde The Musical, it’s fair to say the stage production has stayed on many fan’s lips since January 2022, so the release of this concert couldn’t be anymore desired! (and no, not just as an excuse to have another reason to watch Jeremy Jordan on a big screen…)
For those who haven’t seen the musical yet, the story follows the lives of Bonnie & Clyde, two of the most infamous outlaws in American History. It shows their dreams and plans for life, and how they ended up on their paths. As wild as it is hilarious, it is also quietly tragic - Bonnie’s desire to be a big movie star, allows her to delusionally follow Clyde onto a path which actually takes her further away from her dream instead of toward it.
Written by Ivan Menchell, the musical is full of energy, featuring music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Don Black, it is a thrilling mix of country & western, blues and Broadway pop stylings. Natalie McQueen as Blanche Barrow, provides a powerfully satirical performance in “you are going back to jail”, juxtaposing the dulcet tones of McCann in “Dying Ain’t So Bad”. The soundtrack is a real journey of colour and light for the entire cast, never missing a beat or its impact to the storyline.
Trevor Dion Nicholas is a powerhouse in the role of the Preacher, providing stunning gospel tones, contrasting the beautifully smooth performance by Liam Tamne. George McGuire also plays the devoted husband and doting brother to Clyde with an extremely strong performance.
Nick Winston’s direction is another badge for his sash of staged production successes. He manages to capture the core of the musical and bring it to life in the most simple but effective ways. The audience is hooked from the very first note and stays entranced throughout. This is only further supported by Philip Whitcomb’s set and costume designs, which perfectly captured the American Depression - styled around a gloomy but impactful colour palette.
The recording of the musical is done so expertly - capturing the whole show whilst zoning in on each of the characters. The quality is incredible and I already can’t wait to see it on a cinema screen as it felt so cinematic. Just like seeing the show live, you feel the excitement and buzz of the auditorium, with many shots of the audience as they’re sitting in anticipation for the entracte to begin, and also throughout.
It’s also interesting that the audience are sitting wearing masks - a fact I stupidly forgot was due to it being recorded in 2022, the UK were of course still in the midst of Covid-19 and endless lockdowns. It feels a weirdly nostalgic point of recognition to have captured in the recording, much like the post-depression era America in the show, it will hopefully one day be a distant memory. With this in mind you can sense the added excitement of the audience, as for many it would have been their first time back in a theatre since pre-covid days. And there is no doubt that the audience is anything but electric - their applause is almost deafening with glee at many moments throughout - most notably at Jordan’s awe-inspiring rendition of ‘Raise A Little Hell’ (seriously, how can that man be human with that voice?!).
Also with the recent news of the imminent closure of the Bonnie & Clyde national tour in the UK, it feels extra special timing that many will now have the ability to see the show outside of London. Although nothing (in my opinion) can beat being in the room watching a show - it’s important that not everyone has the luxury to experience this often, so these recordings are so important to keep theatre as accessible to the whole public as possible. Hopefully the tour will be able to resume at some point in the future…
Bonnie & Clyde is a musical that took the UK by a storm, and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. This recording is enabling even more fans to hail this show's success and I'm so excited for the fan base to grow as this show truly deserves it.
Stream Bonnie and Clyde The Musical right now.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
