Moulin Rouge - Piccadilly Theatre

joem thanks for your review. You've summed up what I think about the Broadway cast recording and what I've read about the stage production - I'll stick with the film.

This I totally agree with but other than that I am at odds with the majority here, in that I thought Christian was actually good and engaging as lead, and Satine just totally flat. She simply didn’t sparkle and among a very strong ensemble we just couldn’t believe that she would be the star of the show at the Moulin Rouge.

Agree with the lack of chemistry between Christian and Satine but we pinned that on Satine, who seemed to have no comedy chops at all and so couldn’t bring any life to the bits that are meant to be funny! That first Elephant scene with Christian is meant to be farce!!

Really made me appreciate how good an actress Nicole Kidman is.

Yes, I am a fan of the film, and I think it rather spoiled my enjoyment because I simply could not stop comparing the show to it in my head, and it came up short for most of the show.

The only change/addition that actually worked for me was Rolling in the Deep.

And I know I sound like a grumpy old woman when I say this, but most of the new pop songs added just don’t work so well because they’re not as good! They are melodically lacking and don’t give the cast a chance to open up vocally. And I didn’t think they integrated into the score and story as well as the originals - they just didn’t flow as well.

Having said that did enjoy Poker Face even though it added nothing to the actual story.

Was relieved that they actually kept Roxanne in.

All in all, despite a terrific ensemble and some strong work from the supporting roles, it just didn’t hang together well enough for me.

At the interval and I am enjoying it. Tanisha is strong as Satine (if a bit young). Simon is excellent as the Duke and I am enjoying Clive as Zedler. Jason Pennycooke’s French accent is a lot easier to understand here than in Hamilton (which admittedly could be to do with the rapping).

With regards to Jamie Bogyo, his acting is rather wooden but he has a nice singing voice. In a more classic MT show, I think he’d fit in well. His voice isn’t really suited to the pop style required in this show, especially as he can’t really belt. Anything high is sung with his head voice. That said, the Elephant Love medley was as enjoyable as I hoped, and probably the best moment for Jamie so far.

If Jamie had brought the vocals from act 2 into act 1, that would’ve been nice - very strong vocally in act 2, especially in Roxanne. Still a bit wooden acting wise.

I did think it’s a show that goes for style over substance mostly, but I did really enjoy it overall.

Any chance we can do this for all performances now? :0

Yesterday I saw Moulin Rouge for the first time - From the moment you step into the auditorium of the Piccadilly Theatre, you are transported to the Paris of old. Serious-faced performers wander around the stage before the show starts, giving off dark, mysterious vibes. This is quite a contrast to when the show starts and everything is colourful and the cast are dancing up a storm. Which brings me to the dancing in the show. It’s breathtaking, particularly the iconic can-can routines, which are worth the visit to see the show alone.

The set is another marvel as it seems to stretch for miles and performers pop-up from all around the auditorium during various moments of the show (be sure to look at the Windmill that is half way down the auditorium when Satine says “talk to me Harry Zidler” in the Diamonds song). The way that scenery drops in during a split second or how the entire design changes during a very brief blackout is stunning.

Harry Zidler, the Moulin Rouge’s master of ceremonies, was played by Clive Carter. His was BY FAR my favourite performance of the evening. He portrayed everything from Harold’s charismatic host persona to his sympathetic friendly persona (who loves his colleagues) yet his stubborn, duty bound persona all brilliantly. For me, the way this role is done is one of the main reasons to see the show.

I was sat in Row B, directly behind the can-can cabaret seats. The can-can seats themselves, if you’re sat on the front row then you would miss a lot of the action. The second row you are very close to the performers. The chairs also have a wooden back and less padding than the other stalls seats and the show is long. So just a warning to anyone considering those.

Our seats in row B were comfortable apart from limited legroom due to the set protruding out in front of us, which my dad particularly found agonising at times. This wasn’t helped by the fact that the matinee was 15 mins late starting though.

As for the show itself, it’s based on Baz Luhrmann’s film of the same name, which is a tragic love story about a Moulin Rouge prostitute named Satine and a poet named Christian who fall in love. However, as the Moulin Rouge is in debt, Satine feels compelled to love the wealthy Duke, even though he only loves her for her appearance.

The film successfully put 80s and earlier pop songs into the storyline to excellent effect. In the musical, even more songs are added from the 90s and 00s. The way they mash-up all the different songs is one of my favourite things about this show.

The Duke in the film was not a DILF but in the musical he really is (we had Craig Ryder in the role and he was really good). However, there are so many shows with love triangles where the other guy is a DILF that it takes away the originality of the film for me. In the musical, The Duke still wants to buy Satine’s love though and is still very much the villain of the piece.

Christian, on the other hand, is one The Bohemians, who are opposed to the Duke and value love. The Bohemains want to put on a musical at the Moulin Rouge and this allows Satine (its leading lady) and Christian (the poet who will write the lyrics and play the hero) to have a secret love affair (although the Duke is not a fool).

One thing I noticed, which probably most people won’t due to how much stuff is always going on, is that the great writer (Christian) is never seen to write anything down during the entire show. It would have been nice to have a brief moment of him sitting at a typewriter.

The Bohemians were played with great panache by Elia La Toro as Santiago (his version of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance a highlight) and Jason Pennycooke as Toulouse (his French accent and version of Nature Boy two highlights). I didn’t find that Santiago or Toulouse had as much personality as the characters in the film though. Particularly missed was Santiago’s narcolepsy.

The ending was probably the biggest let down of this show for me. The whole plot is building up to the theatrical performance that will make Christian’s lyrics famous. The performance itself is reduced to a few bits of dialogue. Also, a dramatic moment with Satine at the end did not have much drama for me either (though some audience members still cried). I would have liked the Duke to have come storming in with a gun and confront the couple as he does in the climax of the film.

This is a very fun show though and, although tickets are extortionate, you see where all your money has gone. I probably had one of the most enjoyable afternoons I’ve ever had at the theatre and will definitely see it again. But it does have plot flaws, particularly towards the end.

P.S. I love the song Come What May and I know it was the only original song in the Moulin Rouge! film but it’s reprised soooooo many times in act two. Surely they could have found a substitute song.

I wasn’t a fan of the film at all but loved the show (in New York)

Moulin Rouge! has extended its run until 1st October 2022. Additional tickets are currently on sale for ATG Theatrecard holders (Jul-Oct) only. I presume tickets will be released for the general public soon.

I'm booked for Monday night for the princely sum of £12.80..... thanks Theatre Tokens! 😁

That is a bargain. Mine should be £87.80! Hope you enjoyed it 👍

Adam Gillian is on for Christian from Monday to Wednesday this week.