The Big Life, Stratford East Theatre Review
The cast of The Big Life. Photo Credit: Mark Senior
Written by Philip for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
If you are looking for a musical full of fun, energy and life then this is the one for you! The Big Life follows the lives of four arrivals from the West Indies - Ferdy, Bernie, Dennis and Lennie. They come to London in the 1950s full of hope and expectation. This take on William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, is a Ska musical steeped in storytelling. It tells the story of an incredibly important generation in UK history - the Windrush Generation.
With a book written by Paul Sirett and Tameka Empson and music and lyrics by Paul Joseph and Paul Sirett respectively, the story explodes onto the stage. The writing is joyful and witty with a boatload of truth and heart. Sirett and Empson balance side splitting humour with the harsh truth of life in London for the Windrush generation. The songs by Sirett and Joseph have you dancing in your seat from the very first chord. The highest highs and lowest lows spill out in every note played and every tune sung. You cannot help but get swept along by such uplifting music.
Following the lives of Ferdy (Ashley Samuels), Bernie (Nathanael Campbell), Dennis (Khalid Daley) and Lennie (Karl Queensborough) as they arrive in London, they make a bet with the Admiral or as he is also known Eros (Daniel Bailey) that they cannot give up love for 3 years. They each make their characters shine. Working together as a unit they provide many a belly laugh. The harmonies and vocals these gentlemen provide are beautiful, mixed with some incredible moves that will make you swoon and giggle. They have boundless energy. Although separate from the hopeless romantics, Bailey is oh so smooth as trickster the Admiral.
Falling in love is a major plot point in this piece and that’s where the fabulous ladies enter the scene. Each of the men have their equivalent woman. Ferdy falls for Zuleika (Rachel John), Bernie for Sybil (Gabrielle Brooks), Dennis for Kathy (Juliet Agnes) and Lennie for Mary (Leanne Henlon). They each play their roles with humour and emotion. They are all complete powerhouses. They sing with proper soul and dance with so much life. Every one a worthy leading lady in this real ensemble show.
Along with the many laughs this show brings, the raw emotion of loss and missing home pours out at one particular climactic moment in Act 2. The switch from comedy to drama is incredibly effective. The talented cast relishes the opportunity to be serious and show the complexities of human emotion.
Read more: Interview with Leanne Henlon, The Big Life
Aside from her co-writing duties, Tameka Empson also steals the show as Mrs Johnson or should I say Mrs Aphrodite. Acting in part as ‘Greek chorus’ of the piece, Mrs Aphrodite imparts commentary of the play and commentary for our lives. She is the queen of love who guides the couples together. She even manages to tell the audience who her favourite Eastender is! Using pop culture references and anecdotes Empson gets some serious points across. You love her from the moment she first speaks. She speaks the truth and has the audience dying of laughter while not pulling any punches. Even as the light fades on most of Empson’s scenes she still has the audience guffawing over her muttered lines as the next scene gets underway. She is such a gifted comedian. Her big reveal as Mrs Aphrodite is also a glorious moment of transformation that had people whooping as loud as they could!
Tinuke Craig directed ‘The Big Life’ with such attention to detail, making sure every move was a definite choice. Ingrid Mackinnon’s choreography was so much fun to watch and it seemed like just as much fun to perform. The costuming of the piece was also very cleverly designed by Jasmine Swan, who also designed the set. By matching each couple in the same coloured clothing it was very easy to see which two would be paired as soon as you met each character. It was very effective.
With it being 20 years since The Big Life debuted at the Theatre Royal Stratford East before moving to the West End there was no better time to bring it back. The messages of the show are just as relevant today and I for one would love to see it back in the West End as soon as possible! Make sure you run to grab a ticket for this heartfelt joyous show!
The Big Life runs at the Theatre Royal Stratford East until 30th March 2024
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
