BWW Reviews: 1888, Union Theatre, June 15 2011

In Paris, the rise of the modern city - and the unknown "status" of the growing army of women who worked in the bars and cafes dotted about its streets - provided inspiration for Edouard Manet: in London, it provided inspiration for Jack the Ripper. In the 20^th and now 21st centuries, French Impressionists and urban serial killers are still irresistible material for artists. As you might expect, 1888 (at the Union Theatre until July 2) has no mention of Montmarte's white church, but plenty of London's Whitechapel.

Rosie (GEmma Salter) and Mary (Stephanie Hampton) sing in an East End pub and scrape a living, the former on her knees, the latter on her back. Enter dedicated detective John Beck (Stephen Lloyd) and earnest evangelist Merriweather Sim (Vlach Ashton). Soon the Met's man falls for the maid and the preacher hooks up with the hooker. The two couples' love affairs twist and turn, with plenty of advice coming from salt of the earth Eastenders that you may have seen a few times before in musical theatre havin' a rare ol' knees-up. But the murders are getting closer and closer to Rosie and Mary and something has to be done.

This is Gerry Ware's first full-scale musical play (it is not known if he got the idea from David St Hubbins and Nigel Tufnell of Spinal Tap) and there are times when it shows. Though the two central love stories are strong and acted and sung beautifully, especially by Vlach Ashton and Stephanie Hampton, the two sub-plots involving a theatrical impresario and an early suffragette are under-written, suggesting that there's only room for one only. Laudably, Ware does not shirk from underlining the hideous nature of The Ripper's crimes, with a chilling song the lyrics of which are no more, and no less, than an account of the injuries suffered by a victim - a very London Road moment in a play that has some parallels with The National Theatre's big hit.

In a recession, it's easy for theatres to give the public another revival - it's harder for them to take a chance on new work. Londoners are lucky to have so much that is new available to them and, in 1888, a play that sets two tender love stories that could really only happen in the Metropolis against the backdrop of the frenzied murders and a frenzied media interest that also could really only happen in the metropolis. 1888 has much to say about 2011.