Being there for a West End show is always special, but stepping into the Savoy for Burlesque: The Musical felt like walking into a different world. And let me tell you, it was a tremendous breath of fresh air. Amid the usual respun movies for the stage, this musical adaptation of the 2010 film has gone its own eccentric way. With its monster sound, energy, and blinding bling, it is no less than Burlesque 2.0.
The original film brought together the incredible voices of Cher and Christina Aguilera, and you might wonder who could possibly compare to that. This new cast, it turns out, can. You could generate electricity with the combined sound of Orfeh, as burlesque club owner Tess, and Jess Folley, as Ali, a small town singer with a massive voice. Ali still blows the roof off this burlesque lounge, but the musical is grittier and less sanitised than the film. The plot has been given a smart makeover, too. Ali is now a too-loud gospel singer (“Beyoncé trapped in a Taylor Swift body”) who goes to New York not looking for fame, but a long lost mother. So many of the plot lines turn new, unexpected corners, which I absolutely loved.
The music, composed by Aguilera, Sia, Todrick Hall, and others, is sensational. Of course, you get the old songs like the signature tune “Show Me How You Burlesque,” but the new numbers are big, fizzing, and hugely witty, including the rap-infused “Call Mama Daddy” and the jazzy “Ammo.” Todrick Hall’s choreography is a sensation, with jaw dropping athleticism, balletic moves, and circus acrobatics, and Marco Marco’s “more is more” costumes are truly award-worthy. Hall is also an absolute blast as a performer, doubling up as Ali’s old gospel teacher and Tess’s right-hand man, completely blowing Stanley Tucci’s role out of the water.
The whole production feels wonderfully contemporary. The script is so current it references Baby Reindeer and contains a show stopping joke about the Coldplay concert’s kiss cam couple. It’s raunchier and more “outre” than the film, and the humour, despite the American accents, feels peculiarly British. The show is very RuPaul, with enough leather, feathers, sequins, and disco ball lighting for a season of Drag Race. And yes, there were harnesses, thongs, and bared, bouncing flesh, too. Jake Dupree, as the gender fluid Trey/Chardonnay, was phenomenal, complete with nipple tassels in one striptease, while Alessia McDermott and Jess Qualter, as the kinky twins Summer and Spring, truly brought the burlesque spirit.
While the whole thing is over adrenalised and a bit messy in its plotting, you easily forgive the blips. This is a production stuffed with personality, spectacle, and wow factor. I came for the nostalgia of the film, but I left with a huge appreciation for the new kicks: bigger, naughtier, and camp as hell. This is one you need to see before its limited run ends on 6 September.
At Savoy theatre, London, until 6 September.
