Amy Child & Ana Balanici
Smart, sexy and oh so slick, Bonnie & Clyde brings the 1930s American gangster genre to the stage in impeccable style, telling the tale of a couple of outlaws who you can’t help but root for. Amy Child and Ana Balanici review.
This musical literally and metaphorically started with a bang, and kept up the energy from start to finish. The entire cast was phenomenal and didn’t miss a beat. Every character – from the four mains down to the minor ones – oozed with personality and stage presence, and each had their own moments to shine with touches of humour and incredible vocals.
We got a powerful sense not only of who each character was individually, but their dynamics with each other
The four main characters were brilliant. Each had so much depth and complexity, and were developed to a standard unusual for a musical. Of course, this couldn’t have come across without the outstanding performances from the four lead actors, who proved equally talented across acting and singing. We got a powerful sense not only of who each character was individually, but their dynamics with each other, from the brotherly bond between Clyde and Buck to the family relationships and different romantic relationships. Each character also had a compelling arc. Clyde’s, in particular, stood out due to his fascinating psychology.
The songs throughout the musical were upbeat, memorable, and performed with stellar vocals from every cast member
We have to give a big well done to Alex James-Hatton (Clyde) and Katie Tonkinson (Bonnie) for their fantastic performances. They portrayed Bonnie and Clyde’s complex relationship so believably, capturing humour, attraction, angst and love with prowess. The songs throughout the musical were upbeat, memorable, and performed with stellar vocals from every cast member who carried off ambitious numbers with ease. This is particularly the case for James-Hatton and Tonkinson whose solos were consistently incredible. The stand-out songs for us were Raise a Little Hell, You Love Who You Love, and God’s Arms Are Always Open, though we loved them all.
The storytelling is concise, clever and fast-paced so there is never a dull moment
You can tell that the production has a great script. The storytelling is concise, clever and fast-paced so there is never a dull moment. This pace was enhanced by swift and seamless set transitions using projections as well as set pieces, which meant that scenes could overlap and switch almost like a film or TV show. We particularly loved the projections of newspaper clippings and old timey photos, and the lighting effects with the bullet holes which made the stage lively and interesting.
We’d also like to shout out the costume, hair and make-up team for doing an amazing job at bringing the 1930s alive and really conveying the characters’ personalities and their development through costume. Their hard work made the musical look great and feel really immersive and believable.
All in all, the cast and crew succeeded in raising both a little hell and the entire audience to their feet for a well-deserved standing ovation. Bonnie & Clyde is on at Theatre Royal until 18th May, so run and get your tickets now! Trust us when we say this is one you don’t want to miss.
Amy Child & Ana Balanici
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of @bonnieclydeldn via Instagram. No changes were made to these images.
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