Review: BACH & SONS, Bridge Theatre

Nina Raine's new play Bach & Sons is premiering at the Bridge Theatre to socially distanced audiences through the summer. This lavish production is directed by Nicholas Hytner, who runs the Bridge, with an experienced cast led by Simon Russell Beale (late of the Broadway-bound Lehman Trilogy and a frequent collaborator with Hytner) as Johann Sebastian Bach.

The play opens a window on to the famous German Baroque composer with specific reference to fatherhood: he sired 20 children in all. Immediately, we see Bach's genius and obsession for music whereby he projects a deep passion for religion and aims to share this with three sons, in particular: Wilhelm, Carl and Gottfried. But Bach does not have an easy temperament - he is rude, selfish, stubborn and has impossibly high standards. His sons, though devoted and in awe of his talents, struggle in the parental shadow: the two eldest - Wilhelm and Carl - live with this burden in completely different ways, neither meeting his father's expectations. Family feuds ensue, and love, faith and, above all else, music are passionately debated.

Themes of masculinity, family, religion, art and success come in for exploration, and music terminology is often cleverly used metaphorically to describe the characters and their relationships.

However, the story lacks direction and the stakes seem low. The ongoing tension between Bach and his sons never really reaches resolution but seems to run in circles. The play feels slow, and the two hour thirty minute run-time drags.

Raine's script appears well researched in terms of both period and terminology specific to the Baroque era. However, it often feels didactic rather than plot-driven, and the dialogue frequently feels expositional. Strangely, the language is slightly modernised, including contemporary colloquialisms and profanities which seem likely only to alienate the show's target audience of history buffs and classical music connoisseurs.

An experienced cast does its best to bring to life a text dense with musical terms and topics. Douggie McMeekin has a good stab at bringing naturalism to his role as the favourite wayward son, but his approach doesn't always sit well with the script, and whilst Samuel Blenkin tries to bring light and shade and dramatic tension to his role as the neglected uptight son, he runs a risk of moving into melodrama. Russell Beale's talents are given over to a character who is careless, emotionless and insular, therefore restricting the actor's full potential.

Consistently fantastic are the set by Vicki Mortimer and costume design by Khadija Raza. The attention to detail is extraordinary and looks as though no cost was spared: you feel as though you have been transported to another time and place completely. The rustic woods and neutral tones with candlelit-style lighting create a homely feel. The visuals are impressive throughout, as newly lush sets and costumes continue to appear. In contrast, above the stage hangs an array of falling keyboards, equally as splendid.

The social distancing regulations work to the show's advantage as it becomes apparent that the stall seats are organised in a similar formation to an orchestra, allowing Bach to conduct, as it were, outward into the audience. This allows the audience to feel the wrath of Bach themselves, and therefore sympathise more with his family.

The music used throughout grounds the historical accuracy of the piece but can feel repetitive for those who may not be die-hard Baroque fans; nor is it always as expressive as the characters make it out to be. A full complement of live actor-musicians might have brought another layer of depth and excitement but would at the same time have been costly.

Overall, Bach & Sons is clearly well produced but feels faintly purposeless. Besides learning a little bit more about Bach, the audience is not really left with anything to mull over, his moods notwithstanding. Or perhaps it's that the stories of Bach and his sons aren't the ones we need to be telling or hearing right now.

Bach & Sons runs at The Bridge Theatre until 11 September

Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan

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