Review: Chess

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Chess.
The West End revival of Chess caught my attention a number of months ago, and I was rather interested in seeing it, however it was only running for a very limited time and therefore it looked unlikely that I would have the opportunity to see it. However, as a wonderful Birthday surprise, my American friend Broadway Bob (shoutout to @BroadwayBobNYC) bought me a ticket to see it. As a result, I was able to watch it the day before its closing performance.

This production of Chess's strongest aspect comes in the form of its spectacular cast. Within this cast, there some absolutely outstanding actors, powerful singers and skilled dancers. In the leading role of professional Russian chess player Anatoly is Michael Ball, OBE. Ball has quite the stunning voice; I was truly astonished by the power of his singing. His performances of songs such as 'Where I Want To Be' and 'Anthem' were phenomenal. Additionally, Ball is also an exceptional actor, providing an exceedingly powerful performance. Ball appears to be very well suited to the part of Anatoly. In the role of Anatoly's love interest, Florence, was Cassidy Janson. Janson's voice is marvellous, and she gives both a believable and heartfelt performance. Tim Howar performing as Freddie, Anatoly's American chess rival, creates a great characterisation for the role. His solo in Act 2 of 'Pity the Child' was very moving and I would go as far to say that it was one of the highlights of the show. Portraying Anatoly's wife Svetlana, is singer and songwriter Alexandra Burke, who I had previously seen perform in The Bodyguard. Despite the limited stage time that Svetlana has, Burke makes every second count, still making a large impact on the audience.

The score of Chess, which has been composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, is sensational. They are many beautiful melodies throughout the show, as well as some very well-written and intelligent lyrics, which were written by Tim Rice. My personal favourite songs from the score would be 'Anthem', 'Someone Else's Story', 'I Know Him So Well' and 'You and I'. The orchestrations for this production were sublime and undoubtedly did the score justice. The gigantic orchestra of the London Coliseum (containing over 70 musicians) are wonderful and were a joy to listen to.

My only major criticism for Chess would be that it was longer than it needed to be (the production currently stands at 2 hours and 45 minutes). There are several games of chess which are played live on the stage, which each match seeming to last 4-5 minutes. I personally felt that these matches were somewhat unnecessary and a little long-winded. Additionally, I also felt that the musical numbers 'Merano' and 'One Night in Bangkok' dragged on somewhat, and therefore these too could be shortened.

Both the set design and lighting design were superlative. The set design recreates a giant chess board, which seems to work rather efficiently and appears to have certain connotations behind it. The mighty chess players are no more than pawns, being manipulated by their respective governments. The characters may think that they have control over their own chess board's, but the hidden reality is that they are just pawns of a great game. The lighting design was also extremely effective and helped to tighten the more dramatic and tense moments of the show. As for the sound design, I held mixed views on this particular aspect. Due to the sound design, there was a portion of the lyrics which became difficult to hear and understand. The choreography was remarkable, and the ensemble featured some very talented dancers, who carried out the choreography flawlessly.

The featured star of Chess is, drum roll please... MICHAEL BALL!

Michael Ball gives an utterly flawless performance in the role of Anatoly. He is an exceptional singer and has a voice like no other. His performance is outstanding and one which I am sure to remember. 

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

Chess isn't without its flaws, but its phenomenal score and incredible cast more than make up for it. Chess sadly closes tonight (2nd June 2018), but I congratulate it on its successful run!

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