JAC YARROW IS A STAR!
I don’t mean just your average West End leading man who can competently helm a show. No, Jac Yarrow has something special. He is something special. He has the sort of ‘glad to be alive’ charisma that I last remember seeing from John Barrowman in Anything Goes more years ago than I care to remember.
And how have I reached this conclusion? Simply put, he is the crowning glory topping out the magnificent cast of a two-night-only concert of Stephen Schwartz’s 1972 musical Pippin at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane, which is looking sumptuous after the recent complete refurbishment.
As a composer Stephen Schwartz is one of those people you either love to excess, or really don’t care for – I must admit that I’m in the latter category – and even though the 1972 Broadway production of Pippin eventually lasted for a very healthy 1944 performances, the London production was a flop closing after just 85, more of which later.
One thing the London production DID boast, however, was a young Patricia Hodge who here moves up from playing the love interest to Pippin’s grandmother, and in doing so gamely leads an audience sing-along which was pitched at a very unfortunate part of the register, but still I joined in.
The story is fairly straightforward though it bears only a passing resemblance to the historical characters and situations it portrays. It’s told through the framing device of a group of players telling Pippin’s story…
Young Pippin (an astonishing and charismatic Jac Yarrow) returns from university to the court of his father, the King Charlemagne (Cedric Neal), where he finds there have been a few changes…
His ambitious step-mother Fastrada (an energetic and athletic Zizi Strallen), has a son, Pippin’s younger half-brother, Lewis (Idriss Kargbo) who is dim-witted and only interested in being a soldier. Pippin is looking for fulfilment, so decides to become a soldier too, to fight the Visigoths.
Not finding fulfilment in war, he turns to more light-hearted pleasures such as sex and partying, but is again unfulfilled.
He decides that perhaps fratricide is the thing he needs, so kills his father and takes the throne.
However he proves to be a useless king. Charlemagne is somehow revived, and Pippin finds comfort in the arms of a young widow but afraid he’s settling down, he tries to leave, though finds he can’t. He feels trapped, but is at least happy…
There really isn’t a weak link in this cast. Everything comes together in a way which very rarely happens in the theatre, and that’s in no small part to producer Katy Lipson’s ability to make things happen. Bravo Ms Lipson!
I enjoyed this evening like I haven’t enjoyed an evening in the theatre for a long time, but coming out I reflected that I didn’t feel as if I’d been moved, and that I think is the problem with the show, and the reason why it didn’t run in London. There’s a new gloss to the script – which is very, very funny – The Arts Ed Choir sounded fabulous, and the orchestra under the baton Chris Ma were equally as impressive, but to what end?
Pippin doesn’t want to make a better world, or even make people’s lives more bearable. Perhaps that’s the reason the show flopped here in London. Pippin is just too self-absorbed, and in spite of the star quality of the actor playing him, just isn’t really a very nice person.
Still, what a production, and what a very well deserved standing ovation at the end!
Director: Jonathan O’Boyle
Book: Roger O Hirson
Music & Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz
Cast includes: Jac Yarrow, Alex Newell, Lucie Jones, Zizi Strallen, Cedric Neal, Patricia Hodge, Idriss Kargbo, Ryan Heenan, Jak Allen-Anderson, Sally Frith, Amonik Melaco, Gleanne Purcell-Brown, and The Arts Ed Choir
Dates: Monday and Tuesday 29th & 30th April 2024
Running time: 2hrs 40 mins, including 1 x 20 minute interval
Photo Pamela Raith Photography