Wasted Southwark playhouse

I was also there yesterday afternoon - I seriously considered leaving during the show stop, but I'm glad I stayed as while Act One was pretty abysmal, Act Two was actually quite good. I agree that if they made some heavy cuts and took it down to a one act show it could have real potential. As it stands, transitions between songs and scenes are not smooth at all, a lot of the lyrics are clunky (and hard to hear despite great diction from the cast) and while the lighter music is very pleasant, the heavier rock songs are really quite terribly written. The programme notes begin by comparing the Brontës to the Beatles, and I can't help but think this show would work much better with Bealtes-style music rather than heavy rock. Credit to the performers though, who worked very hard for a small crowd. I could listen to Natasha Barnes sing for the rest of time and some of the best moments of this show were when she was allowed to really let rip with her voice. Molly Lynch's soprano is beautiful and she surprised me with the strength of her belt too, and while Siobhan Athwal seemed to be channelling some odd hybrid of Kate Bush and Gollum, she had a solid voice too. I loved the lighting, and the set was pretty standard for Southwark but a good use of the space nonetheless (although the wired microphones were just awkward, the cast were constantly fighting to untangle them).