Evita revival - Curve Leicester Christmas 2023

My sentiment too

The set was bare with a movable staircase for set pieces and walkway above the stage that could rise up and down. Used a lot of live video. Staging was much more modern than previous productions with some songs having very modern concepts for the staging (less the waltz for Che and Eva and more the interview of Che and Eva). The ensemble do mostly wear black however it does have more colour than it looks with the upper classes in persons latest flame being very colourful.

What is it with this current fetish of directors to massacre reliable and accomplished musical theatre works? Nikolai Foster has form with Billy Elliot, and now this. (I skipped his Chorus Line after hearing feedback.)

Given the preparation time involved in a production like Evita, it simply isn't possible that Foster hot-footed it down to the Savoy and knocked up a Jamie Lloyd clone, so one can only conclude that this is coincidence and the way "modern" directors are all thinking these days in the wake of Ivo van Hove, but the Belgian at least has some theatrical flair and generally a rationale to his artifices.

For Evita, we have a completely bare stage, apart from a giant staircase that is on, then off, then on again, then swung around distractingly, and so on, repeated ad nauseum. There are occasional tables with chairs. (That's to say tables that appear occasionally, not a multitude of occasional tables.) There's a suspended walkway across the width of the stage which lowers from the rafters when needed, including one scene where it crushes the crowd underneath who writhe like dying flies. (Cue unintended laughter.) The set is completed in one sequence by some upstage curtains, of which more later, and, at various times, by a vertical video screen.  And that's it.

That's not quite right. I forgot to mention a rectangular platform in the middle of the stage that rises up high three or four times, initially bearing Eva Peron's coffin. Unfortunately, it wobbles rather alarmingly, and I was fearing for the safety of Tyrone Huntley's Che Guevara when stood atop it.

Foster likes to illuminate his protagonist, and I mean really illuminate her. There is a plethora of lights in constant movement, and a whole cluster facing out. Because the audience is looking directly at them, your eyes mainly follow the equipment rather than their effect. This is most definitely a show for the TikTok-heads who are easily dazzled.

There is an oft-repeated device in musicals where a scene is set on a theatrical stage and a pair of curtains closes across the upstage area. As viewers, we can be made to realise that we are looking at the backs of those curtains from the players' perspective out to the imagined audience beyond, or looking at the front of those curtains from the same vantage point as that audience. The device I am alluding to is where the scene transitions quickly from front perspective to rear perspective, or vice versa. So as not to confuse us, the effect can be achieved by literally spinning the curtains around; it can be done by changing the backdrop behind the curtains and the props in front; it can even be done remarkably effectively just using lighting changes. Foster's technique is simply to switch with no hint that it has happened. It is confusing and bizarre.

I could catalogue a litany of similarly ill-judged directorial decisions, but it's too depressing to recount.

Clearly the budget here does not extend to West End levels, so there is just the one handheld Steadicam and another floor-standing camera (on wheels and moved frequently, of course). The technical gurus at the Curve have not mastered how to screen live video without a quarter-second delay. Tip: do not let your Che stand directly in front of the screen clapping his outstretched hands, as this makes the lag rather more noticeable than it needs to be.

The bulk of the cast are costumed in hi-top, all-black Vans and slim black jeans, with black vests for the men and t-shirts otherwise. The male actors have evidently been selected for their physique, good looks and bulging biceps, which they show off to excess. Which is not to decry their acting, dancing or singing, as they all pass muster on those fronts. It's just that this feels more like a homoerotic parade of Chippendales at times. (That can work in, say, South Pacific, but in Evita? Really?)

Naturally, Foster’s Eva Peron is bisexual, flirting and frottaging with either gender. In that role, Martha Kirby has a good voice, but her Eva needs to be more captivating. Gary Milner as General Peron is believable and stands out (and not because of his double-breasted, pinstripe, navy suit that screams cheap-as-chips David Dickinson). The rest of the cast do their best under bad direction.

Any other version of Evita is fascinating for its tale of a poor, illegitimate, working-class girl sleeping her way to the top, and commanding the adoration of the masses, a real-life phenomenon, a cult of personality. We are meant to question whether there is any altruistic element behind all of the self-interest. Can she be pitied? Sadly, most of that is buried in Foster's staging.

Those unfamiliar with the story may struggle to follow the narrative, as Tim Rice's fast-paced lyrics are not given any helpful context in many scenes from the usual visual clues of scenery, props, costumes, etc. I suspect some will not even have realised the historical identity and symbolism of our narrator. Che’s attire says French 60s New Wave with the addition of a beanie hat. Che is important in the piece as a spokesman for the proletariat -- a reminder to Eva of her roots -- and, more importantly, as her conscience. All of this is lost in translation here.

Some of the synchronised stage movement and choreography works, but there are moments when it comes across as awkward, and detracts from rather than adds to the intended mood.

Audience reaction during the first act was decidedly tepid, with those numbers that had a punctuation where applause is expected receiving an embarrassingly muted response. A nine-minute show-stop put paid to any building of momentum. Act two was better received, the audience no doubt assisted by interval libation and a renewed determination to make the best of a night out. Of course, provincial crowds at musicals will ovate at the slightest excuse in these X-Factor-influenced days, but I did not see anyone rise. Very telling. You might get away with pretentious onanism in the capital -- in fact you'll often be feted for it -- but the less-youthful theatregoers in the regions are not so forgiving.

Two stars.

Act 1: 19:36-19:52 <show stop> 20:01-20:38
Act 2: 21:01-22:00

Poll added.

The two ladies next to me who had not seen Evita before told me they had been undecided whether to return after the interval as they could not follow the story.

What a shame. It´s easily ALW´s best work, and an extremely solid material.
I do hope the orchestra wasn´t the 9-piece reduced version with canned click tracks...

The programme lists nine players. There's also an assistant MD with no instrument specified, so represumably just a cover for the MD.

I loved Sunset (gave it 5 stars), but I didn't like this anywhere near as much (or at all tbh).

I felt it was quite messy with people not necessarily doing their choreographed moves in time (although given it is previews maybe the choreography will be ironed out) and some of the movement just felt unnecessary or didn't feel like it fit the show.

The camera work here felt out of place and gimmicky whereas in Sunset I felt like it suited the story telling? The only points here where I thought it worked was when they used it for Eva's 1st broadcast after meeting Peron (the song name escapes me). There were also various points where the camera was just pointing at the stairs or random floor moments and the big stationary camera at the back didn't do much. The screen showing the camera work also would start coming up and down mid projection so the lighting rig or staircase would block parts of it?

I wasn't entirely sold on the cast either. Martha can definitely sing the score, but I'm not sure about her portrayal as a whole. Tyrone felt a bit miscast here generally. I didn't like the Magaldi at all, but I was a fan of the Mistress. Peron was not bad also.

I hated this. I hate saying that because I absolutely love Evita but found very little to like here. Although I didn't much like the Regents Park production either, and people loved that if I remember correctly? Vocally everyone was good, and Martha had some touches I liked, but overall I was disappointed I made the trek for this. mkb's review said it better than I will (I'll add for reference I DID like Sunset though).

God it looks dreadful in those production shots.

4 (four) stars from What’s On Stage.
2 (two) stars from The Guardian.

Going next weekend to see for myself!
I do rather like the pics though as I quite like no sets where you see the innards of a theatre combined with big lighting designs. Much more than hideous cheap cardboard sets anyway.

And certainly muscle men in black vests don’t usually make things worse.

I do see the unfavourable comparisons to Sunset though but will reserve judgment until I’ve been.