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WARNING: some spoilers!
After a long awaited return to the show, Philip Quast bounded zestfully onto the stage in his new attire of the mulberry crushed velvet jacket with outrageously wide lapels and a very fetching pink frilly shirt underneath. The new hairstyle for Georges was 'bouffant', rather than the previous slicked back look, this being the 1980's, decade of Big Hair, men included. You could see from the start he was relaxed and happy, enjoying reprising the role. Two of the original Cagelles are still there, 'Chantal' , Nolan Frederick and 'Hanna', Nicholas Cunningham, though their wigs have been upgraded since the opening at the Menier and the costumes are decidedly more glitzy.
Jason Pennycooke as Jacob is simply marvellous, his comic timing is terrific and the banter between he and Philip as Jacob explains to an exasperated Georges that Albin is 'upstairs' while he's threatening to 'have someone breakdown this door' is wonderful. Georges has trouble with the 'women' in his life, from Jacob ('I hired a butler!' 'And you got a maid!') to Albin, his male wife of twenty years and star of La Cage aux Folles.The really clever part of this new production is that Philip is playing Georges in a much 'camper' fashion to off-set the more down-to-earth way that Roger Allam plays Albin/ZaZa. The new relationship between the two leads is quite simply the best pairing of actors I've ever seen in these two roles.The audience is left in no doubt that Albin is a bloke in a frock by the way Roger approaches the role, he doesn't attempt to falsetto his voice until Albin is faced with Dindon and pretending to be Georges's 'female' wife; and in a way that makes it more real. When it comes the the scene where Albin is yelling 'And what's wrong with my Salome??!!', it's rather like that Grand Dame of the Kitchen, Fanny Craddock; the fact that he is several years older than Philip makes it far more poignant; Albin realises that his glory days are over, which makes the 'Mascara' song incredibly strong.
The actual song 'La Cage aux Folles' is complete with the wonderful black and red 'baby-doll' nightie............ with spinning nipple tassells; and Roger demanding audience participation. When he gets to the line 'We live life on an angle', he leans over, then stops the show and tells the audience that he wants them to lean over too, before re-starting the song, and everybody leans over on cue.
Some of you will remember Stuart Neal as one of Evita's suitors, this time he's playing Jean Michel, in an 80's wig. His 'take' on the character is much more strident than Neil McDermott's, he's more forceful in his movements round the stage, so he's not attempting plaintive manipulation when he says 'I love you' to his Father when he wants to get his own way over the fact that he's proposed to Ann, and he's getting married. Philip's approach to this scene is much more flustered than it previously was, his new Georges has just about got his head round his son going out with girls, but wanting to marry one?? He's flummoxed and takes a lot of persuading before coming to the realisation that his son's new love could be 'Just like Albin and me', which reminds you that this is a love story with many aspects. Then he has to brake the news to Albin. What's worse is the he has to try his tactful best to explain to Albin that not only is Sibil coming to the Wedding, but also that he is not. This is where Roger's Albin differs to Doug's, that wonderful line 'Sibil is a pig' is uttered casually by Roger with irony, where Doug spat it with venom.
However, when Roger's Albin tries to become 'Uncle Al' is one of the highlights of the show. Philip's singing of 'Masculinity' is accompanied by him unbuttoning his blazer, putting his left hand on his hip and 'sashaying' across the stage like a model going down the Catwalk at Milan............... the audience were screaming with laughter!! This was closely followed by Roger trying to 'walk like John Wayne' which entailed him starting with a mince that ended up as an ape-lope, complete with scratching the top of his head, that bore an uncanny resemblance to George W Bush............... you have to SEE this for the full effect!!
Dindon was played by Duncan Smith, who was with Philip in Secret Garden, as one of the gardeners, he's much more haughty as the Deputy, which Jason reacts to by throwing the cases with even more vigour than usual. Tracey Bennett's Jacqueline is a bravura performance, complete with Farah Fawcett flick-back wig, all the female customers at Chez Jacqueline have them, and 'The Best of Times is Now' goes down a storm. Right until ZaZa takes his wig off. This is where Duncan Smith's Dindon is better than Ian Mitchell's, he has Dindon dancing with rage as he yells 'Transvestite Homosexuals!!' at Georges and Albin, who are sitting meekly in the chaise longue, then pipe up 'one transvestite and one plain homosexual'. Philip looks so sweetly mournful when uttering this line you actually forget he's so physically large; despite the fact he makes Roger looks small when they're dancing together. The finale is wonderful and touching, especially when Roger comes down the stairs as a man and he and Philip kiss and dance together with long stemmed roses between their teeth.
In conclusion, I have to say that this is the best performance of this musical I've ever seen, the pairing of Philip and Roger is inspired, to the extent that the audience rose to give them a standing ovation accompanied by thunderous applause. Philip was beaming with happiness as he took his bow and the crowd roared its approval, it was a fantastic night and he was on top form.
