Zorro the Musical:
a riot of excitement, flamenco and sword fights

We are born of an ancient people

Proud as time itself

Our spirits carry the secrets of the world

Inez

 
Cast of Zorro (Photo: Pamela Raith)

With a cast of actor musicians, Zorro the musical blazes into the Charing Cross Theatre bringing the thrills of flamenco dance and cante jondo or deep song.  Directed by Christian Durham, this is the version with the book and lyrics by Stephen Clark from a story by him and Helen Edmundson.  Besides the iconic music of the Gypsy Kings, John Cameron has written additional music.  Director Christian Durham has adapted this  production.

Although I had seen Zorro in 2008, the version at Charing Cross has the audience banked either side of the stage for fully immersive action.  It is a big party!  What this production loses in magic tricks, it replaces with exciting duels at close quarters by fight director Renny Krupinski and fight captain Matthew Heywood.

The story you can read in the 2008 review is of the prodigal son who returns to find his father presumed dead and his brother an autocratic and cruel ruler of the pueblo in small town Los Angeles dated 1805.  He is Diego de la Vega (Benjamin Purkiss) and he brings back with him from Spain a gypsy troupe with the beautiful and fiery Inez (Phoebe Panaretos).  Diego has been found in Spain by his childhood sweetheart Luisa (Paige Fenlon) who can wield a sword as well as the men.

Benjamin Purkiss as Zorro and company (Photo: Pamela Raith)

Cressida Carré’s vibrant choreography is full of high, athletic jumps as well as musically unaccompanied foot stamping and clapping dance and traditional flamenco.  I loved the female ensemble of dancers, distressed and red lighting, two playing trumpets whose children are starving as the soldiers take their food.  They sing “Libertad” the song of freedom. One unfortunate man has been sentenced to be hanged and we see his head in a large rope noose and no evidence of a body hoist.  How will he escape? 

Since his return to California, Diego has been disguising himself as an effete, shrinking violet, a kind of Clark Kent to Zorro’s Superman.  As he acts the part, a spirited Inez says quietly, “Don’t overdo it!”  Inez has to seduce Seargent Garcia (Marc Pickering), a comic part but essential to Ramon (Alex Gibson Giorgio)’s power structure.  The first act closes with “Bamboléo” as Inez and the gypsies dance to the hypnotic classic song from the Gypsy Kings.

Phoebe Panateros as Inez and Marc Pickering as Sgt Garcia (Photo: Pamela Raith)

Rosa Maggiora’s set looks good with its terracotta walls, ropes and barrels and of course costumes that can be twirled and swung.  The lighting too is used to alter the mood of scenes.

In the second act, I felt real anguish in a scene towards the end.  Benjamin Purkiss acts and sings and looks like the handsome hero a perfect foil for his brother Ramon’s villain who says, “Happiness is always blemished by what we do not yet possess”, looking at Luisa.  Is his leather tankard half empty of Rioja?  Zorro’s song “Hope” is a kind of soliloquy.   Paige Fenlon as Luisa, wearing a wedding dress, sings “The Man Behind the Mask”  beautifully.  But for me the star of the show is Phoebe Panaretos’s Inez with her deep register singing voice, wonderful dance and astonishing stage presence.   

I loved this show as flamenco for me is the epitome of romance!

Pete Ashmore as don Alejandro (Photo: Pamela Raith)

Musical Numbers

Act One

Prologue (The Lullaby)

Baila Me

Remember

Libertad

Hope

In One Day

Viva El Zorro

Falling

Bamboléo There’s A Tale

Act Two

Entrada

Vamos A Bailar (Freedom)

A Love We’ll Never Live

One More Beer

Djobi Djoba

Hope (Reprise)

The Man Behind The Mask

Finale

Production Notes

Zorro the Musical 

Book, Lyrics and Original Story by Stephen Clark

Music The Gypsy Kings

Co-composer and Adaptor: John Cameron

Directed by Christian Durham

Cast

Starring:

Pete Ashmore

Paige Fenlon

Alex Gibson Giorgio

Phoebe Pantaros

Marc Pickering

Benjamin Purkiss

Stylianos Thomadakis

Hannah Woodward

 

With:

Ahaz Awad

Amy Bastani

Isobel Bates

Ben Boskovic

Matthew Bugg

Maxwell Griffin

Matthew Heywood

Jessica Lim

Jessica Pardoe

Stylianos Thomadakis

Hannah Woodward

Creatives

Director: Christian Durham

Choreographer: Cressida Carré

Set and Costume Designer: Rosa Maggiora

Musical Director and Orchestrator: Nick Barstow

Lighting Designer:  Matt Haskins

Sound Designer: Andrew Johnson

Fight Director:  Renny Krupinski

Orchestrations: Michael Gibson

Special Effects Consultant and Flaming Sword

Designer: Tim Haddon

Flamenco Designer: Maria Vega

Information

Running Time: Two hours 40 minutes with an interval

Booking until 28th May 2022 

Theatre:

Charing Cross Theatre

The Arches

Villiers Street

London WC2N 6NL

Box Office: 08444 930 650

Tube: Embankment

Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge

at the Charing Cross Theatre on 12th April 2022