Review: 'Marguerite', an almost great musical

Marguerite, the new musical currently playing at London's Theatre Royal, Haymarket, has most of the ingredients required to make a great show - stunning music, a wonderfully inventive set, a very strong story that should stir the emotions of an audience, a stellar cast led by performers of genuine star quality and a creative team whose previous track record proves they know how to create a hit. But somehow the result is slightly unsatisfying. 

Based upon Alexandre Dumas' classic novel, La Dame Aux Camelias, it tells the tragic story set in Nazi occupied Paris of Marguerite, the beautiful 40 year old mistress of a high ranking German officer, who embarks upon a dangerous affair with Armand, a young musician who falls obsessively in love with her. The situation is made more complicated and dramatic by Armand's sister's involvement with the French Resistance and her relationship with a young Jewish man.

Unfortunately what should be a taut, dramatic scenario fails to engage the emotions of the audience because the libretto (by Claude-Michel Schonberg,Alain Boublil and the show's director, Jonathon Kent) is terribly clichéd and lacks emotional intensity in its writing. Even worse, Herbert Kretzmer's lyrics (based upon Boublil's original French text) are seriously banal and lacking any subtlety of sub-text.

But, despite its flaws, Marguerite still succeeds in being an enjoyable evening at the theatre, largely due to Jonathon Kent's stylish and slick direction and Michel Legrand's evocative, soaring and at times heartbreakingly beautiful score. And the lead performances are all from the top drawer. Alexander Hanson exudes a huge stage presence and delivers a powerful vocal performance as Otto, a role that is sadly seriously underwritten. In the title role, Ruthie Henshall demonstrates once again why she has established herself as one of the true Divas of West End and Broadway musical theatre - she is both sexy and vulnerable as well as vocally exquisite. But even in this great company the show is stolen by the golden voiced Julian Ovendon as Armand, whose singing alone is worth the value of purchasing a ticket.

In short, Marguerite is a brave attempt to create a new romantic, dramatic and sophisticated musical that just falls short of the mark.