13/08/25

Gilded Balloon at the Museum, Edinburgh

Far removed from the rough-hewn scramble of so many Fringe Productions, Vagabond Skies has all the precision and style of a West End musical. The brainchild of creative team Tony Norman and Mark Edwards, the show comes to the Fringe in a stripped-down version, designed to slot into a shorter running time. But on the evidence of viewing this, I’ll be one of the first in the queue for the full-length version.

Vagabond Skies skilfully avoids many of the pitfalls of the true life biography and in its telling, it’s both informative – I actually learn things about the great artist I didn’t previously know – and genuinely affecting. There are some superb vocal performances throughout, and not just from the leads. The ten-strong cast offer fabulous ensemble work, moving effortlessly from scene to scene, each character given the opportunity to make their mark.

We first encounter Vincent (Alex Bloomer) in 1879 when he is working as a missionary, struggling to spread the word of God to the dirt-poor mining communities of Borinage, Belgium, who clearly have bigger things to consider – such as where their next meal is coming from. After that, we follow Vincent’s early years as an artist in Nuenen and Antwerp, and we share his correspondence with his supportive brother, Theo (Richard Dawes). Next, we are plunged headlong into Vincent’s tumultuous time in Paris, his difficult relationship with the bullish and self-centred, Paul Gauguin (Patrick Jennings), and we see him suffer at the hands of bullies and art critics alike.

Some of the most memorable solo performances here are from the female members of the cast. Jordan Frazier is fabulous in the role of Agostina, the owner of the Café de Tanborin; Maren Ovidia offers a bruising ballad as prostitute, Sien; and Francesca Layland performs a stunning solo as Theo’s wife, Joanna. But once again, it’s when all the voices come together that the piece really dazzles, the harmonies soaring. It would take a staunch soul indeed not to well up when listening to the show’s extended finale – or to Vincent and Theo’s heartbreaking duet on Brother of Mine.

But then there are the visual delights to consider: a back-projection screen the size of the stage blooms with vivid images of some of the artist’s most iconic works, gradually rearranging and erasing them to be replaced by others, with subtle flourishes of animation added to the mix. The danger here is that those paintings could overpower the performances, but somehow the production walks the precarious tightrope between the different disciplines, ensuring that everything is kept in perfect balance.

Vagabond Skies is a sumptuous and brilliantly performed entertainment, worthy of the unique artist who inspired it.

5 stars

Philip Caveney