Jerry’s Girls, Paradise in Augustines Review

12 Aug

Written by Jacqueline for Theatre & Tonic

One of my most hotly anticipated tickets of this year’s Fringe was Never Ending Theatre’s production of Jerry’s Girls. I first became aware of this show at a Fringe showcase back in June where we were treated to a short taster of the show, and it’s been on my radar ever since.

Jerry’s Girls is a 90-minute musical revue celebrating the work of the late Jerry Herman. Jerry Herman is the composer and lyricist behind some of the biggest shows in theatre, including Hello, Dolly!, La Cage Aux Folles, and Mack and Mabel. Many of the songs penned by Herman received career-defining performances from the likes of Barbara Streisand and Bernadette Peters. This production stars a host of local talent- Jenny Bald, Claire Chateauneuf, Justine House, Sophie Martin, Luna Rose, Kirsty Stevenson, Alex Stewart and Molly Wildsmith- who very much match the standards set by theatre’s greats.

Through the 90-minute production, there are countless stellar performances. Every performer has their time in the spotlight, through a seamless blend of solos, duets and group numbers. There were countless highlights, but my personal favourites were La Cage Aux Folles' "I Am What I Am" and Hello Dolly!'s "Put On Your Sunday Clothes", both of which utilised the talents of the full ensemble spectacularly. I loved watching these songs in a different staging than how they were originally written, and seeing them in a whole new light.

Sophie Martin’s choreography is haunting from the moment you enter the theatre, with the performers sprawled across the auditorium in states of disarray before gradually being puppeteered back to life. Though the show has no dialogue, the relationships between the “girls” become clear without the need for blatant exposition. From friendship to rivalry, squabbling to sisterhood, these stories are told artfully through intricate staging and interactions. This is a very layered production- at surface level it would be easy to sit back and simply enjoy the songs, but there is much more depth the further you look. I do feel as though the show would potentially be more enjoyable to those with a prior knowledge of Jerry Herman and his works, as they would be able to contextualise the songs more quickly. Having said that, the show would also serve as an extensive introduction to Herman's music for those who were experiencing these songs for the first time.

Jerry’s Girls is a spooky and stylish theatrical extravaganza, bringing some of theatre’s greatest songs to the forefront of the Fringe. If you’re a fan of classic musical theatre, this is a show you absolutely cannot miss!

Jerry's Girls runs until August 16th at Paradise in Augustines (Venue 152) from 21:25-22:55. This show has a 12+ age recommendation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Edinburgh Fringe