Rare Revival of Sondheim's Frogfest
“The time is the present. The place is Ancient Greece.”
Dionysos
The Frogs by Aristophanes is amongst the oldest of comedies to be revived originally dating from 405 BC, only predated by the tragedies of Euripides. The current incarnation has come from a loose adaptation by Burt Shevelove, songs by Stephen Sondheim and an even looser adaptation by Nathan Lane in 2004. The Frogs is one of Sondheim’s rarest produced musicals.
The storyline is barely adequate. In Ancient Greece, the world is in chaos, there is political disharmony and war. The god of drama and drinking wants to put things right by descending into Hades and bringing back to this world a great artist. You will see why later this has to be Shevelove or later, as the rival artists come from 1600 and 1900 AD or CE.
Dionysos (Dan Buckley) is the prime mover here alongside his slave Xanthias (a twinkly Kevin McHale). Xanthias wasn’t born with slave genes but as the 28th of 56 children was sold into slavery by his parents. The uplifting part of the show is the insertion of topical comedy and the opening number “Invocations and Instructions to the Audience” illustrates how not to behave in the theatre. The most memorable of these is “So please don’t fart. There’s very little air and this is art.”
An enthusiastic chorus of Dionysos’s followers dance and sing, each with a distinct character. A jaunty song “I Love to Travel” sets Dionysos and Xanthias off on their journey but first Dionysos will visit his half brother the epitome of strength and valour Herakles (Joaquin Pedro Valdes). Despite his reputation for conquering Labours (See the upcoming Disney musical Hercules) Herakles has a talent for dress advice for Dionysos and equips him with lion outfits. Cue “Circle of Life” reference.
The ferryman Charon, here said with the English pronunciation Caron rather than the Greek Haron, (Carl Patrick) warns Dionysos that the swampy River Styx if full of his nemesis, frogs. The full list of lethal frogs is given by Charon. Dionysos decides to pass as his formidable half brother Herakles. We have Dionysos singing a love song to his wife Ariadne (Alison Driver) where he praises her dimples.
The finale of Act One is a celebratory frog dance with Libby Todd’s amazing frog costumes with their wide mouths and curling red tongues and most effective green feet with red pompom toes and fingers. They play leap frog and Dionysos is terrified. During the interval we hear a song by Kermit. Frog footprints guide us into the auditorium and projected frog prints are ever present in the show.
Act Two opens with Xanthias fearing his master has been eaten by a frog but that now he can be a freeman taking the name of Greg. We meet Pluto played by one of five guest actors but on press night it was Victoria Scone. I didn’t really get Dionysos’s reputation as a sex god but Pluto was convinced. It is acknowledged that Dionysos is the god of queerness with his pansexual tastes and cross dressing reputation but this isn’t really explored with Dan Buckley but with the chorus.
The concluding scenes where Dionysos finds his world redeeming artist in the form initially of George Bernard Shaw (a wonderful Martha Pothen in white beard, tweed waistcoat and Shavian hat is scene stealing). The dancers are clothes in Shaw style and dance with Orange Penguin copies of his plays. We do hear the best in snippets of Shaw’s wit but there is no way I could see Shaw’s more tedious prose saving the world. Would Donald Trump see the error of his ways if guided by Bernard Shaw? William Shakespeare (Bart Lambert) will compete with Shaw for the place back on earth. And the impossible question, why are the greatest artists in Hell? I had forgotten that everyone went to Hades, there being no concept of Heaven.
Carl Patrick takes on several dark parts well. The ensemble work very hard singing and dancing. Kevin McHale remains my favourite as such a natural comedian with perfect timing. Joaquin Pedro Valdes shows Herakles’ muscles and bravura. Martha Pothen is superb.
It is sobering to note that Stephen Sondheim was least satisfied with Nathan Lane’s version of The Frogs and found it overlong. If you appreciate some wit and silliness you will enjoy the more extravagant moments but I don’t think you’ll come out singing any tunes but you’ll enjoy the lyrics.
Musical Numbers
Act One
Prologue: Invocation and Instructions to the Audience
I Love to Travel
Dress Big
I Love to Travel
All Aboard
Ariadne
The Frogs
Act Two
Hymn to Dionysos
Hades
It’s Only a Play
Shaw/Dionysos
All Aboard
Fear No More
Hymn to Dionysos
from Shakespeare’s Cymbeline
Production Notes
The Frogs
Original written by Aristophanes in 405 BC
Freely Adapted by Bert Shevelove
Even More Freely Adapted by Nathan Lane
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by Georgie Rankcom
Cast
Starring:
Dan Buckley
Kevin McHale
Joaquin Pedro Valdes
Bart Lambert
Martha Pothen
Carl Patrick
Alison Driver
Milo McCarthy
Evonee Bentley-Holder
Victoria Scone
Creatives
Director: Georgie Rankcom
Choreographer: Matt Nicholson
Designer: Libby Todd
Orchestration: Tim Sutton
Musical Supervisor : Ben McQuigg
Lighting Designer: Samuel Biondolillo
Sound Designer: Joshiua Robins
Musical Director: Yshani Perinpanayagam
Information
Running Time: Two hours 20 minutes with an interval
Booking until 28th June 2025
Theatre:
Southwark Playhouse THE LARGE
Newington Causeway
London SE1 6BD
Rail/Tube: Elephant and Castle
Website: southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge
at the Southwark Playhouse
on 27th May 2025
