War and Peace ... The Musical!
“Oh how she blushes,
How she blushes, my pretty!
Charmante, charmante!
You are such a lovely thing
Oh, where have you been
It’s such a shame to bury pearls in the country
Charmante, charmante,
Charming”
Hélène
Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 is Tim Sheader’s first musical production at the Donmar Warehouse since he took over as Artistic Director. Dave Molloy’s musical surfaced in America in 2012 and made its way to a ten month run on Broadway in 2016-17.
Molloy has taken 70 pages of Part Two of Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace to make this musical Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. Molloy centres on the love stories of Countess Natasha Rostova (Chumisa Dornford-May) and Prince Andrey Bolkonsky, who is mostly away fighting the war against Napoleon’s French, and Pierre Bezukov (Declan Bennett).
The vibrant opening to the sung-through musical in mostly modern dress has everyone introduced in a circle and the repeated lyric, “There’s a war going on and Andrey isn’t here!” Natasha is first seen as a school girl but as she dreams about her fiancé, a widower, Andrey, a couple dance above the stage in uniform and ball gown and in masks.
We meet Andrey’s father, a degenerate Prince Bolkonsky (Eugene McCoy) who looks like Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. We already have the idea that this musical is going to be witty, certainly visually. I was told that this was the musical for people who don’t like musicals!
As they go to the opera where everybody is observing other members of the audience rather than the show, their opera glasses are catching the light as if there are two torches shining out from each pair. We switch back in the novel to the duel between Pierre and Fedya Dolokhov (Daniel Krikler) where Pierre shoots Dolokhov by mistake and Dolokhov, a crack shot, misses.
We meet the villainous family Hélène Bezukhova (Cat Simmons in strong voice) who is unhappily married to Pierre and her handsome brother, Anatole Kuragin (Jamie Muscato) who is instantly attracted to Natasha. Hélène sings the wonderfully jazzy and seductive number “Charming” telling Natasha how much her brother has fallen for her. The party is lit by hand held candles and there is a magnificent ball.
In Act Two, “Letters” Pierre explains that in 19th century Russia, “we write letters”. Sonya (Maimuna Memon), Natasha’s sister warns her about Anatole. There are rumours that he has a wife in Poland. Andrey is wounded in the war and dies of his wounds. The Great Comet of 1812 beings a new beginning for Natasha and Pierre.
What a joy it is to have such meaningful lyrics and lovely tunes telling a good story!
I would have expected Dave Molloy’s musical to have made it across the Atlantic before now but the time lag would have taken it into Covid and lockdown. It is virtually sold out apart from some day release seats but surely must be looking at a transfer. It is regrettable that the theatres in the West End that have their own Artistic Director are smallish for musical staging but I suspect over the next few years we shall see Tim Sheader transferring his exciting musical productions.
Editor of TheatreVibe.co.uk
See ABOUT US
Musical Numbers
Act One
Pierre |
Moscow |
The Private And Intimate Life Of The House |
Natasha & Bolkonskys |
No One Else |
The Opera |
Natasha And Anatole |
Natasha Lost |
The Duel |
Sunday Morning |
Charming |
The Ball |
Act Two
Letters | |
Sonya And Natasha | |
Sonya Alone | |
Preparations | |
Balaga | |
The Abduction | |
In My House | |
A Call To Pierre | |
Find Anatole | |
Pierre & Anatole | |
Natasha Very Ill | |
Pierre & Andrey | |
Pierre & Natasha | |
The Great Comet of 1812 |
Production Notes
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Music Book and Lyrics by Dave Molloy
Directed by Tim Sheader
Cast
Starring:
Jamie Muscato
Kimberly Blake
Annette McLaughlin
Cat Simmons
Cedric Neal
Chihiro Kawasaki
Declan Bennett
Eugene McCoy
Maimuna Memon
Daniel Krikler
Ali Goldsmith
Chumisa Dornford-May
Andrew Berlin
Nitai Levi
Chloe Saracco
Annie Majin
Creatives
Director: Tim Sheader
Choreographer: Ellen Kane
Set Designer: Leslie Travers
Costume Designer: Evie Gurney
Musical Orchestrations: Dave Molloy
Lighting Designer: Ben Cracknell
Sound Designer: Nick Lidster and Gareth Tucker
Musical Director: Sam Young
Information
Running Time: Two hours 30 minutes with an interval
Booking until 8th February 2025
Theatre:
Donmar Warehouse
Earlham Street
Covent Garden
London WC2H 9LX
Tube : Covent Garden
Website: donmarwarehouse.com
Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge
at the Donmar Warehouse
at the matinée on 19th December 2024
