Review: The Grinning Man

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Grinning Man.
From the long list of the theatre shows that I had compiled to try and see over the Christmas holiday, The Grinning Man definitely stood out above the rest as a 'must-see'. It is a brand new original musical, which used to be a rarity for the West End, and the trailer of it made my desire to see it even larger.

There are many impressive things about this musical that I admire, however at the top of the list is The Grinning Man's extraordinary score, composed by Tim Phillips and Marc Teitler. Within this score, there are many hauntingly beautiful melodies, some of which have remained in my mind several days after seeing the show. My personal highlights from the score are 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Labyrinth'. Sadly, an original cast album has not been released yet, however I hope one is recorded in the near future, as I would love to once again listen to these songs. I would happily listen to this score over and over again; it was beyond unique.

The Grinning Man's cast is led by Louis Maskell, in the role of Grinpayne, who gives a very heartfelt performance. The way Maskell chooses to portray Grinpayne makes it impossible for the audience not to feel empathetic towards the character. It's an extremely convincing portrayal and Louis Maskell gives it his all. If that wasn't enough, he also has a great voice which suits the score perfectly. Playing opposite Maskell's Grinpayne is Sanne Den Besten, as Dea, his blind love interest. Sanne Den Besten had a truly outstanding vocal ability; all of the songs which she performed were delightful. Additionally, she too gives a flawless acting performance. In the role of Barkilphedro, the royal jester, Julian Bleach adds something very special to The Grinning Man. With a role similar to the Emcee in Cabaret, Barkilphedro is a wicked character brining comedic relief to the audience during  the show. Julian Bleach was perfectly cast in this role. Whenever Bleach enters the stage, he is totally transfixing. There was never a dull moment with him onstage. Another cast member who stood out for me was Mark Anderson, as Dirry-Moir, the young and foolish son of the King. Anderson had barrels of energy,  and  gave an outstanding performance. Needless to say, the entire cast of The Grinning Man are spectacular and all play a part in making this the spellbinding show that it is.

The storyline of The Grinning Man is loosely based off of Victor Hugo's 'The Man Who Laughs'. It follows the aftermath of the King's death in 18th Century London, but by the looks of things, no one really cares that the King is gone. A strange new act has arrived at the fair in the centre of the capital, a grotesque oasis of entertainment. Soon everyone from the gutter-rats to the new queen has fallen for the hand-made freak Grinpayne and his hideously beautiful face. But who is he really? And how did he come to be so marked? Together with an old man, a blind girl and wolf, he has a story to tell. A tale so tragic and so strange that not even he can guess how it will end. It was a fun storyline to follow and I found it to be utterly gripping throughout. There were a few plot holes, however I was enjoying it so much that I was quite happy to suspend disbelief.

The set design, which has been created by Jon Bausor, was magical. The whole theatre has been decorated as a large old fashioned circus, transporting its audience into 18th Century London. It felt like such an immersive experience, which is furthered by the cast frequently coming out into the audience and performing in the aisles. It was a rather remarkable experience. As for the set design on the stage, despite not have a large stage, the set is not prohibited by this and works excellently. I also loved the lighting design, which I thought worked to great effect.

As I'm sure many of you can imagine, there is something very special about this show; it really is like no other. However, there is even more to it than I have already stated... The Grinning Man also makes use of puppetry. Majestic puppetry is used to portray a wolf onstage, as well as young children. The puppetry is so life-like and really believable; it was carried out very well, leading to a fantastic result.

The featured star of The Grinning Man is, drum roll please... JULIAN BLEACH!

As I stated earlier on, there are many stand-out performances within the cast. However, it is Julian Bleach that steals the show. Everything about his performance is so perfect: his voice, his physicality, his delivery of lines, the list goes on and on. The character of Barkliphedro is wicked and does terrible things, and yet you just want to watch more and more of him. Julian Bleach is phenomenal in this role and I can't imagine anyone giving quite as good a performance in the role as he does. 

Now for my final verdict on The Grinning Man. I give The Grinning Man...

The storyline may have had its flaws, but The Grinning Man is an extraordinary show and nothing can take that away from it. For that reason, I have awarded this brand new musical 4 stars!

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer