5 STARS, June 29-30. An absolute cream pie to the senses, The Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre's production of Bugsy Malone is a toe-tapping, splurge gunning, gangster grilling musical spectacular, says Alan Long
Robyn Mirmak as Fat Sam
This brilliant musical send-up of prohibition era New York gangland, was cheered on by an excited and enthusiastic audience from the opening bars of the first number, before the curtain rose, right through to the riotous finale.
As ever, much of the hilarity in this modern classic derives from child actors’ uncanny imitations of the (mostly bad) behaviour of grown-ups, as mob bosses, femmes fatales, gangster assassins, dancing girls, frequenters of speakeasies and drinkers of cocktails. Plus the substitution for hand grenades and Thompson sub-machine guns of cream pies and splurge guns, which squirt shaving foam instead of bullets – no less fatal in immediate effect but without the gore and a lot more fun! And there is of course so much more: all of the great songs and the rapid fire dialogue from the original 1976 Alan Parker film, delivered here with verve and panache by members of the Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre.
Two gangs, led by Fat Sam and Dandy Dan, compete for territory and business. Dandy Dan’s men have the advantage of a superior weapon, the splurge gun. Fat Sam is in retreat and his mob catastrophically depleted until he enlists the aid of Bugsy Malone. Only then can he get hold of his own supplies of the fatal foam shooter and mount an effective counter-attack. In the meantime, other story lines move along: Bugsy meets, wins, then loses and regains the affection of Blousy. Fat Sam’s moll, Tallulah, a moody and manipulative vamp, flirts with Bugsy and excites the jealousy of Blousy.
The cast of about forty, most of whom appear in more than one guise, are skilfully co-ordinated and the tale unfolds at speed. Scene changes are deftly managed, the bodies of the slain, and any disorder occasioned by their demise, are neatly and swiftly cleared away by a small team of undertakers accompanied by a mournful trumpeter. And all accompanied throughout by the jaunty soundtrack, played live by the excellent band.
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Grace Jolliffe as Tallulah
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Joshua Fernandes as Bugsy Malone and Jessie Johns as Blousey
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Joshua Fernandes as Bugsy Malone
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Robyn Mirmak as Fat Sam and Joshua Fernandes as Bugsy Malone
There were a number of stand-out performances: Grace Jolliffe as Tallulah, poised and glamorous, scheming and seductive; Jessie Johns as Blousy, edgily defiant in the face of repeated disappointment, determined to avoid false temptations of hope. Both girls sing beautifully and bring sweet pathos to their renditions, respectively, of ‘My Name is Tallulah’ and ‘Ordinary Fool’. Robin Mirmak as Fat Sam, alternates between unctuous charm and explosive anger, exasperation and menace; Joshua Fernandes as Bugsy Malone, is a thoughtful commentator in a mad world, who almost always has an answer but is sometimes disconcerted by Blousy’s vehement challenges. Cole Flaherty as Fizzy, the cleaner in Fat Sam’s Grand Slam Speakeasy, gives powerful and melodious voice in ‘Tomorrow’, a lament for his lack of opportunity to succeed as a dancer.
The show ends much too soon. A party at Fat Sam’s turns into a massacre, the foam spattered crowd, dancers, drinkers, combatants, fall insensible to the floor. But are slowly awakened by notes from the piano, at first hesitant then quickening. The singing resumes and the dancing. ‘Bad Guys’ (We coulda been anything that we wanted to be) segues into ‘Good Guys’ (We’re weaker divided, let friendship double our powers) and finally, ‘You Give a Little Love’. The audience wanting the party not to end, claps in time to the music, but even a standing ovation can’t keep it going.
Tickets: yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
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