In Rehearsals With Bonnie & Clyde, London
Written by Penny.
Bonnie and Clyde, the most recent winner of the What’s On Stage Award for Best New Musical, opens at London’s Garrick Theatre in March, following a very successful run at the Arts Theatre last summer. As the show moves into its new and bigger home, a lot of familiar faces from the 2022 run and earlier concert version, are returning to the cast, but with a couple of changes, both in the principals and ensemble.
Frances Mayli McCann and Jordan Luke Gage return as the titular outlaws, along with George Maguire as Clyde’s brother Buck and Cleve September as Bonnie’s childhood friend turned lawman Ted Hinton. New to the cast we have Jodie Steele as Buck’s wife Blanche and Dom Hartley-Harris as the Preacher.
With just under a fortnight to go until the show opens, the cast was introduced to a lucky few at Bonnie and Clyde’s rehearsal room. Director Nick Winston told us that the show we all loved last year has had some changes, but reassured us that they are just going to make us love it even more. There are a few lyric changes, some additional music, more choreography and everything’s going to be just a little bit bigger, reflecting the larger performance space.
We were treated to three songs from the show and a brief scene. This is a ridiculously talented cast and it was a real pleasure to see them work with such a close view of the action. This may be a rehearsal, but nobody is just “marking it”. There’s a real energy in the room, this cast is ready.
“When I Drive” is Clyde and Buck’s love song to a fast car. Jordan and George work brilliantly together, two incredibly powerful voices and presences. Their ode to the open road is followed by a scene that sets up the conflict between Bonnie and Blanche with judgemental Blanche dismissing Clyde’s girl as just “some tart”. Jodie Steele fits perfectly into the gang, she’s very funny and I’m really looking forward to seeing her duet with Frances. In our chat, George told me it’s something rather special.
“God’s Arms Are Always Open” is one of the numbers that has had a bit of a makeover for this new production. Dom Hartley-Harris has taken over the role of the Preacher and gets fully involved in the energetic choreography, throwing in some powerhouse vocals and an impressive key change. He’s a fabulous addition to the cast and says he’s looking forward to bringing something new to the role, following in the footsteps of Ako Mitchell and fellow Hamilton alumnus Trevor Dion Nicholas. The staging for this number is great, it’s going to be very exciting to see the finished version on the Garrick stage. As Blanche, Jodie Steele is front and centre of the choreography, which really works for her character.
Finally, Frances Mayli McCann reminded us of how absolutely beautiful her voice is, with a performance of “Dying Ain’t So Bad”. The song conveys Bonnie’s absolute devotion to her Clyde in a bittersweet and heartbreaking acceptance of their inevitable end. It is staged simply and sung from the heart and I absolutely love it. What a privilege to see this performed with just a piano and a couple of pieces of furniture to act as a set. It’s no wonder that a number of the cast members said that this is their favourite song that they don’t get to sing.
Bonnie and Clyde opens at the Garrick Theatre on Saturday 4th March and runs until 20th May. If the rehearsal is anything to go by, the West End will definitely remember this show! Book your tickets here.
Coming Soon:
And as if an exclusive performance wasn’t enough, we also got the chance to enjoy some “speed dating” with Bonnie and Clyde’s principal cast members. It’s very clear that the producers value everybody in the cast, with Nick Winston praising the full company in his recent acceptance speech at the WOS Awards. Continuing with this tradition, as well as the regular principal actors, we also had the opportunity to chat with Lauren Jones and Barney Wilkinson, who are the alternates for Bonnie and Clyde. They covered the roles last summer and I can’t wait to see what they bring to them this time around.
Why not read our interviews from the Bonnie & Clyde rehearsals?
