Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others- UK Review

Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others (UK/>/> TOUR) Review

With the songs of Morrissey and Marr

Conceived and created by Anonymous Society

Reviewed at the Quays Theatre, The Lowry, Salford/> Quays

Oh no, another jukebox musical in the vein of We Will Rock You or Jailhouse Rock, only this time to the strains of Meat Is Murder and This Charming Man! Well, no not quite. For some members of the audience on the night I went, the fact that this show was not produced on a 'musical by numbers' conveyor belt proved disappointing. But personally speaking, after suffering my way through the lazy and dull Boogie Nights 2 and and uninspired Love Shack recently, I welcome the originality of this dark and eye catching piece.

The whole look of Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others is art house cinema meets a Bjork gig. I was reminded several times of the film, Dancer In The Dark- musically as well as visually. With grainy images projected onto a video screen, each character inhabits a world of their own, reading a paper, getting dressed, or sat staring into space- some people may find that they feel this makes them feel completely disconnected. But this is where the music comes in. The wonderful thing about this clever genre busting production is that the songs are completely re-arranged, bearing very little resemblance to the originals. "Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" is now a torch song sung by an acrobat. Kate Brayben delivers this song in such a unique fashion, singing on top of a pile of the entire cast.

At times there is so much to look at on stage, it's hard to know where to look or what to look at. The video imagery is stunning featuring an angelic child at times, a Russ Meyer style sex scene at others- juxtaposed with the action from the cast which often involves them preening, dancing, singing solitarily or together. But what other show allows you to choose where to look and what imagery to reject?

The cast is truly international and each one of them is multi talented. Kyrsten Cummings has a voice to die for. She previously played Mimi in Rent and recreates the vocal gymnastics required to drive a narrative. Israeli born Sigalit Feig stuns the audience with a flamenco style number which highlights her vocal prowess but also her stunning stage presence. Sean Kingsley tap dances his way through "Barbarism Begins At Home" but anyone expecting a Smiths song meets an MGM musical, never fear- the tap dancing is aggressive, adding weight to the excellent lyrics. Katrine Lunde looks stunning with gun in hand and powerful voice to boot. Garrie Harvey's soft vocals contrast wonderfully with his fellow cast members.

The narrative here is almost non existent but this hardly matters. With so musicals now based on pop songs rather than written round them, Some Girls has so much more to offer than an anaemic plot and a bag full of hits. The avant garde style of the piece may not please all comers but it will certainly leave them with more to think about than whether Morrissey could have done it better.   

The band are present on stage playing constantly adding a Philip Glass style backdrop to the barrage of beautiful imagery. They are also evident within the narrative. During one scene they openly eat sweets and slurp drinks during a song. This may irritate some audience members, others will appreciate the irony as the band themselves have had to play whilst audience members twist chocolate éclair wrappers and rustle pic n' mix bags.  

Andrew Wale's assured direction and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's seamless choreography means that the audience are left with a unique theatrical experience unlike anything they have seen. At times the piece lurches from high art to highly irritating. But overall, this is a stunning show which is not held together by well known songs; it has a life of its own. The songs compliment the piece and likewise, so much so that I think Morrissey and Marr would approve. In an age of musicals tacked onto a back catalogue of nostalgia with an eye on merchandising, Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others offers audiences something truly vibrant and individual. For these reasons among many others, it is one hell of a hot ticket.

Anonymous Society, (Perrin Manzer Allen and Andrew Wale) take a bow!

  

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.