‘Amélie is a refreshing musical adaptation for the stage that relies more on character, philosophy and magical whimsy than an endless series of shallow, show-stopping sing-along numbers’, says Andrew Morris...
OUR VERDICT
★★★★
Amélie Poulain has a quiet, lonely childhood, moulded by the froideur of her father and the neurotic nature of her mother, in whose eyes you can never reach the shore as you’re only ever halfway there.
In adulthood, Amélie works in a Montmartre café by day and retreats to the solitude of her tiny atelier by night. She secretly improvises small acts of kindness to bring happiness to others around her, whilst distancing herself from the chance of a life and love of her own.
Until she spies Nino, shy himself and obsessed about who is ripping up photos after taking them in booths dotted around the city. But can Amélie grasp that chance of love and happiness for herself?
Amélie is essentially a love story, but like the much loved 2001 film starring Audrey Tautou, it digs a lot deeper than a run-of-the-mill romance. This is a French story, after all! It’s perhaps more about the connections that we make with people, an apt issue to ponder in these tech-obsessed, emotionally stilted times. And it’s refreshing to see a musical adaptation on the stage that relies more on character, philosophy and magical whimsy than an endless series of shallow, show-stopping sing-along numbers.
Audrey Brisson is perfect as the gentle Amélie, the actor’s childhood spent with the Cirque du Soleil giving her the range of physical skills to accompany a wonderfully expressive face and beautiful, haunting singing voice.
Danny Mac reins in his Strictly persona to play Nino with a well-judged tentativeness that makes this mutual attraction of two timid souls wholly believable. The quiet tear-jerking delivery of the final song Where do we go from here? by Nino and Amélie is enchanting, and such a brave departure from the normal bring-the-house-down bang beloved of most modern musicals.
The cast is full of talented actor-musicians who roam the stage fluidly, deftly wielding instruments as they strap-hang on a metro train or spin around the café, blue arrows on their backs finally guiding Nino towards Amélie.
The stage design plays a huge part in this innovative production: a photo booth morphs into a church confessional, a piano converts into a bar and the lampshade that whisks Amélie from the pavement to her lonely first-floor atelier is inspired. The use of puppets to bring a young Amélie and her mother’s favourite gnome to life is another left-field joy.
How do you go about adapting something so quirky, so French, so quintessentially Parisian as the much loved 2001 film into a musical for the stage? Get over to the New Victoria Theatre in Woking this week to find the answer. C’est merveilleux.
Venue: The New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Dates: August 27-31, 2019, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm; Tue & Sat 2.30 pm
Ticket prices: From £13.00 (Book Here)
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