Lorna Irvine reviews a 'fun and frothy' production that suffers a bit of an identity crisis.
It's a bizarre irony that a musical about conmen, which deals so much in fake identities, twists and disguises, suffers from an identity crisis of its own.
Adapted from the book by Jeffrey Lane and made into a film (a bit of a turkey) which starred Michael Caine and Steve Martin, this production is all over the place with a combination of styles which never quite cohere into a satisfying whole. Too many hats are worn, like the main character at the start.
Lawrence Jameson (Michael Praed) and colleague Andre Thibault (Mark Benton) are the cheeky duo who con rich widows, businessmen, institutions et al into parting with their hard-earned cash, then scarper.
When young upstart Freddy Benson (Noel Sullivan) befriends and is taken on by Jameson, a love triangle involving the seemingly naive and sweet Christine Colgate (Carley Stenson) becomes a farcical bid for one-upmanship as they take their bets to the French Riviera.
There are some lovely slidey set design pieces by Simon Anthony Wells and some of David Yazbeck's numbers are authentic (the Rat Pack homage ‘Give 'Em What They Want’, pithy parody ‘Love Is My Legs’ and Praed's gorgeous solo ballad ‘Love Sneaks In’), but passing over the charming Benton for more scenes with Sullivan seems strange. He's ill at ease as Freddy--a poor man's Jerry Lewis--but better by far as sexually deviant idiot boy alter ego Ruprecht. Benton isn't given enough to do--a real pity as he's a fine comic actor.
Stenson is likeable as the smarter than she seems Christine, and Geraldine Fitzgerald is a fine support as wisecracking dame Muriel Eubanks, but Praed outclasses all with comic chops, louche wordplay and sheer twinkly sex appeal.
A frantic pace by director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell never seems to let up. Fun and frothy, but a more even pace would suit it better. You betcha.
At the Glasgow Kings until June 27 before continuing its UK tour.
RSS