Review: NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 from WITCH Music Theatre

Technically flawless with performances to match

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is a musical adaptation of a 70-page segment from Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel War and Peace written by composer/lyricist Dave Malloy. It is based on Part 8 of Tolstoy's novel, focusing on Natasha's romance with Anatole and Pierre's search for meaning in his life.

The musical premiered on Broadway in November 2016 running for eleven months.

The set was wonderfully designed for visual impact (Joshua Tucker-Emerson) creating various levels and access to the floor so the cast could interact with the audience. 

The cast mingled with the audience before the show began and they were asking if we were interested in interaction with the cast during the show. If you said yes, you were given a sticker to put on that indicated you were willing to participate. This was a brilliant idea, giving the cast confidence that they were going to get some good interaction when approaching an audience member.  

The sound for this show was impeccable, very loud at times but always well balanced with the cast voices. It was easily the best sound I have ever experienced at Hannah. Oliver Devlin together with Hayden Taylor, the Musical Director created a stunning tableau.

I must also mention the lighting design by Alex Fisher. It was superb and not a cue was missed.

The show featured an all-star Wellington cast with wonderful clear voices, some of the best in the City.

Expertly directed by Maya Handa Naff and Nick Lerew, the show flowed with ease and the co-choreographers Emily McDermott and Greta Casey-Solly gave the cast a massive workout, especially in the opening to the second act. I was exhausted just watching it.

All leads performed with passion and ability to match. Lane Corby as Natasha, William Duignan as Pierre, Áine Gallagher as Sonya, Jade Merematira as Helene (who sang my favourite song of the night) and Rachel McSweeney as Mary were all standout performers for me. But the entire cast could be singled out as stars in their own right.

The band were of a high standard led by Hayden Taylor who ran the music from centre stage, yet did not pull focus unless directed to do so.

The costuming was also time period and era-appropriate and well-presented.

This show is loud and proud. It will not be to everyone's taste, yet, it is absolutely worth the price of admission. 

I expect it to be one of the most discussed and posted on social media shows of the year and it deserves to be.

The almost universal standing ovation at the end speaks for itself. Bravo.

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