Review: Pippin

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Pippin.
This weekend I ended up spending my Saturday afternoon visiting the Southwark Playhouse to see the brand new revival of the Broadway hit Pippin. I had heard quite a lot about the Southwark Playhouse, but I had never actually been there before. This all changed yesterday though, as this revival of Pippin finally gave me the opportunity to go there.

Pippin tells the story of a young man who has it all; for him, life is a constant adventure involving vaudeville, magic, comedy and romance. It is a soul-searching exploration of one man’s journey to find himself, his place and purpose in life, Pippin is a musical about an ordinary man on an extraordinary journey. At first, it appeared to be a fairly simple story, with a lack of substance, However, things are not always what they seem. Towards the end of the show, it became clear that there is a lot more to Pippin that meets the eye. There are many different interpretations that can be taken from this show, however I personally believe that Pippin is symbolic of mental health difficulties, such as depression or even schizophrenia. There are several hidden meanings within the show and the symbolism is fascinating. The realisation of this only came to me at the very end of the show, and had I known this from the very beginning, I would have taken the play in very differently.

The score of Pippin, which was composed by Steven Schwartz, is excellent. The score features quite a wide range of genres, including everything from fun songs which the audience can sing along to, to powerful ballads attempting to make the audience feel something. The music truly was a joy to listen to, and I am sure to listen to the Original Broadway Cast Album within the upcoming week.

As much as I adored the music, I was finding it quite difficult to hear, which is due to the sound design of this production. The sound design over amplifies the orchestra, making it extremely hard to actually hear the cast sing. I feel that the sound design needs to be rectified as soon as possible, as it does take away from the music from time to time. I definitely think I would have enjoyed this production much more if the sound design had been improved.

In the title role of Pippin is Jonathan Carlton, who provides everything that is needed for the performance. He is extremely believable, he puts a lot of energy into the role, and if that wasn't enough, he has an absolutely outstanding voice. By his side is Genevieve Nicole as the Leading Player, a character who plays 'Devil's advocate' to Pippin throughout the show. Nicole has an exceptional voice, as well as having a strong command over the stage for the entire duration of Pippin. Two supporting cast members who I believe deserve special mentions are Mairi Barclay and Tessa Kadler. Mairi Barclay, performing in the roles of Fastrada and Berthe, had impeccable comic timing and was a natural on the stage. Her shining moment comes when she gets the opportunity to engage with the audience during the song 'No Time at All'. Tessa Kadler, who portrays the role of Catherine, was a truly phenomenal singer and her rendition of 'I Guess I'll Miss the Man' was outstanding. The venerability she portrayed was excellent and it was impossible not to sympathise with the character.

The featured star of Pippin is, drum roll please... JONATHAN CARLTON!

Whilst there are many brilliant cast members within Pippin, this was a fairly easy decision for me. Jonathan Carlton was the perfect choice to play Pippin; he executed the role flawlessly. His voice was excellent, with each and every song demonstrating what an outstanding singer that he was.

Now for my final verdict on Pippin. I give Pippin...

Pippin deserves 3 and a half stars, however as I don't give half ratings, I have chosen to award this production 3 stars. Nevertheless, it's a great show and it's the perfect example of how brilliant fringe theatre can be!

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a high rating?

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer