It's always tricky as a critic when the negativity you feel about a production isn't shared by the audience around you. So although I found the current revival of Annie at the Piccadilly Theatre weak for a number of reasons, people all around me were loving it and gave the evening a standing ovation; so I'm allocating it four stars inspired by their reaction and not the three which reflect my grumbles.
Annie is a musical about a ten year old girl who escapes from an orphanage and the clutches of its abusive boss when she catches the eye of a lonely and wealthy man who's looking to adopt a child.
It's a terrific piece of musical theatre writing and so it should be as it draws extensively on a earlier mega-hit, the musical Oliver! Another classic show about an orphan who finds a wealthy guardian.
In fact it's fun comparing and contrasting these two orphan musicals.
Both are full of vivid characters, catchy songs and period detail. Oliver! vividly evokes Victorian England whilst in Annie the setting is the American Depression of the 1930s.
The characters of Oliver and Annie both start life orphaned in a hash institution singing movingly of their need for a loving family. Young Oliver sings the tear jerker "Where is Love?" Little Annie sings the equally heartfelt "Maybe" and hopes for a better future in her show's best known song which promises "The Sun'll Come Out to Tomorrow"
The two orphans also have owning a locket in common and it's the only clue as to their real identities.
Both shows make starring roles of villainous adults who exploit child labour; in Oliver! it's the pick-pocket king, Fagin, in Annie it's the orphanage boss Miss Hannigan, currently played by TV comedian Miranda Hart. They both feature on-stage dogs (Bullseye in Oliver! is fearsome, Sandy in Annie is loveable) and in both musicals a last minute revelation about that locket saves the day.
So the Annie authors already had the tried and trusted Oliver! story format to start from. Their brilliance was to add a series of catchy, big, brassy songs that evoke classic Broadway in the same way that the Oliver! score draws on Victorian Music Hall. So it's all good news about the writing.
My reservations about the production mostly stem from feeling the show looks a bit low budget and underpopulated. For instance the opulence of a millionaire's mansion dressed for Christmas is thinly represented by two piles of gold boxes and a couple of maids waving streamers! The exuberance of New York by night is suggested by two dancers with taxi signs on their heads rushing around an empty stage!
I also wish the cast were a little more charismatic. Miranda Hart, the reason why many people will be drawn to see this revival, is absolutely fine but her inherent lovability prevents her from convincing as the show's baddie. It feels like all she needs is a cuddle and a cocoa to warm her heart. In fact all the cast are fine but neither the production values or acting has that special something which denotes a top West End musical.
But, as I say, no one else seemed to care. Plenty of audience members were singing along, suggesting they arrived pre-loving the show and determined to enjoy seeing it live. If that sounds like you, book now, you'll have a great time too.
Kevin Elyot was a prominent playwright and screenwriter. He is best remembered as the creator of the comedy 