In 1973 the satirist Tom Lehrer famously declared satire was obsolete when a warmonger was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. God knows what he'd make of today's politics. Only this morning the immigrant wife of an anti-immigration, right wing presidential candidate addressed a political convention with words plagiarised from A liberal First Lady. A situation so absurd that you couldn't make it up with any credibility, let alone poke fun at anything so unlikely. In such a climate it's hard for the 1997 musical by Dana P. Rowe and John Demsey, spoofing the sex and drug fuelled rise and fall of a fictional US political dynasty, to pack much of a punch when reality is so much more shocking.Despite this, director Michael Strassen, who's one of the smartest re-invigorators of lost musicals I know, has created a memorable production to launch the Union Theatre in its smart new venue.
When you book to see a Strassen show you're always guaranteed a skilful and stylishly executed evening packed with memorable moments and striking imagery. This production of The Fix is no exception. Working on a virtually bare stage, painted with beautiful shafts of light by Iain Dennis he moves the musical's monstrous characters around like a chess master giving full rein to their delicious depravity.
Swathed in Nixon/Kennedy era chic the musical introduces us to a power crazed family. With the sado-masochism related death of the sleazy patriarch his ruthless widow and twisted power brokering brother set about turning his handsome but vacuous son, Cal, into presidential material. Of course he's not up to the job and predictably an inconvenient outbreak of love and honesty scupper the plans.
To be honest the score's pretty lame too. There's a serviceable diva set piece for mum and a single musical phrase with the lyric 1,2,3 has lodged itself into musical folklore; aside from that it relies on cheap gospel and vaudeville pastiche for its few pulse raising moments.
The greatest compliment one can pay Strassen and his cast is that they're so engaging it makes you overlook the dated satire and average song writing.
Lucy Williamson and Ken Christiansen are chillingly vampiric as the older generation, even when bad karma catches up with them and Fra Fee eclipses my memory of John Barrowman as their air headed protégé.
The band is tight, the choreography stylish and even in the formidable heat the cast give their all with 110% commitment.
It's a perfect example of the kind of show the Union Theatre do best and heralds a fresh era of great theatre from this management in their smart new venue.
It's right across the road from the former site and fans of the old building will be be pleased to hear they've succeed in re-capturing its atmosphere with exposed brick work and industrial architectural features - only with nicer toilets!
This month sees the UK production of Green Day’s American Idiot return to the Arts Theatre. Directed and choreographed by Racky Plews, it stars The X Factor alumni Amelia Lily and music artist Newton Faulkner.