Review: BLUES IN THE NIGHT, Kiln Theatre

You can forget your troubles or wallow in the richness of Blues in the Night, currently at the Kiln Theatre.

The love letter to jazz and blues music by the likes of Bessie Smith and Duke Ellington was initially conceived and directed by Sheldon Epps and opened on Broadway in 1982. This most recent revival, directed by Susie McKenna, was developed in workshops and a showcase at Hackney Empire before coming to the Kiln Theatre.

The musical revue follows four individuals, known simply as The Lady (Sharon D Clarke), The Woman (Debbie Kurup), The Man (Clive Rowe) and The Girl (Gemma Sutton).

They're all staying at a rundown Chicago hotel in 1938 amid the Great Depression. Torch songs and toe-tapping hits of the era are used to interweave the guests' stories.

Sometimes in revue shows, there can be too much narration and context between numbers. Thankfully, this show just gets on with giving the crowd the music they want to hear, and the drama within the lyrics is more than sufficient dialogue.

Kurup's character mourns the loss of a more affluent life, spending much of the evening in her dressing gown and gives a heart-wrenching performance as she grieves for the status she once had.

Sutton embodies the part of the young Girl, jaded by a broken heart. Her powerful vocal performances are emotive, notably in a mournful rendition of "Willow Weep for Me".

Rowe is suitable seedy as The Man, who should really be called The Womaniser. That said, he is in his element when singing with the band and is a tour de force of pure joy, revelling in the music, particularly in the livelier numbers. His sincere take on "When a Woman Loves a Man" is also a highlight.

Clarke oozes sophistication as The Lady and very much has the blues in her veins, and her witty remarks garner the largest laughs of the evening. I didn't want her jaw-dropping and anguished rendition of "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" to end. She also has the audience in stitches during a hilarious version of the double entendre-packed "Kitchen Man".

The singers join forces for every other song, spoiling the audience with a wall of beautiful dissonant harmony. It would be a crime not to mention the stellar onstage band jamming with them, who revel in delivering back-to-back standards. Their rapport with the singers is evident, and the entire operation is expertly led by musical director/orchestrator Mark Dickman on piano, playing the role of Oscar.

Joseph Pulton and Aston New provide lovely supporting roles as The Barman and The Hustler respectively, and aid the tremendous amount of storytelling that is achieved despite the minimal dialogue between songs.

Lotte Collett's costumes are as slick and smooth as the tunes, and lighting design by Neil Austin makes good use of extremely slow fades to heighten the drama of the opening riffs of each number, with an apt neon hotel sign above the stage.

Robert Jones' set design has multilevel platforms that effectively segment off the women's rooms from the central gin bar. They also allow the quartet to come together for the joint numbers with ease.

Choreography by Frank Thompson makes full use of these levels. The high-energy numbers are thrilling to watch, and the subtler movement very much aid the storytelling for the more relaxed segments of the show.

Slick, smart and just stunning. Blues in the Night is a treasure for old and new fans of the blues and will have you tapping your toes on the tube ride home. This special evening should not be missed.

Blues in the Night at Kiln Theatre until 7 September

Photo credit: Matt Humphrey

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