Tori Burgess

Tony! (The Tony Blair Rock Opera)

17/08/23

Pleasance at EICC, Edinburgh

Having hot-footed it here from one political satire that doesn’t work, it’s gratifying to find one that actually does. The fact that the venue offers the most comfortable seating on the fringe is a wonderful bonus. Tony! (The Tony Blair Rock Opera) is bold and propulsive and packed with clever observations. As well as making me laugh out loud, it also makes me think. 

As one of the people who voted Tony Blair into power – and voted for him twice again – even after the debacle of the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ – it feels like the right time to reappraise the story of the man who changed the Labour Party, who made them electable for the first time in just about forever.

With lyrics by Harry Hill and music by Steve Brown, Tony! begins at the very beginning as our hero (Jack Whittle) emerges fully formed from his mother’s womb, complete with that winning smile and the belief that the world is his oyster. Within minutes, he’s grown up, been given his first electric guitar, grown his hair long and gone to University. Pretty soon, he’s fronting rock band Ugly Rumours and knocking out some funky riffs with moderate success. His greatest ambition at this time? To meet Mick Jaggers (sic). But instead he meets Cherie Booth (Tori Burgess), who introduces him to the world of politics and… well, you know the rest.

Or do you? With three musicians blasting out a series of catchy rock songs, the production hammers merrily along, introducing major political figures as it goes, with the ensemble cast given plenty of individual opportunities to shine. Howard Samuels impresses as a wonderfully creepy Peter Mandelson (with a sideline in making balloon animals); Phil Sealy is a (perhaps unfairly) buffoonish Gordon Brown; and Martin Johnston’s Neil Kinnock feels perfectly pitched.

Watch out too for Emma Jay Thomas as Princess Diana, who nails ‘the people’s Princess’ with aplomb. Through it all, Whittle is the consummate front man, singing, dancing and grinning like he’s breakfasted on amphetamines.

This is an object lesson in how to satirise a political figure, playing for laughs but hinting at so much more. At the fringe, you go past the sixty-minute mark at your peril and Tony! goes to ninety without ever losing its impetus. I exit the theatre with an ear worm, happily singing the chorus to the climactic number, even though it prominently features the word ‘assholes.’ 

Apologies to the people at the bus stop. I wasn’t referring to you, honest.

4.6 stars

Philip Caveney

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)

20/10/22

Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

It’s a real treat to revisit writer/director Isobel McArthur’s rambunctious retelling of Jane Austen’s best-loved novel. Since we last saw it in January 2020, a lot has happened – and I’m not referring to the pandemic. Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) has wowed the West End and bagged itself a well-deserved Olivier award. McArthur must be buzzing.

This adaptation is actually pretty faithful to the original. The set-up is intact: we have the Bennett family facing financial ruin, and Mrs Bennett (McArthur) desperately trying to marry off her five daughters. And the central romance is intact too: we have sparky, reckless Lizzy (Leah Jamieson), determined to marry for love or not at all – consequences be damned – and we have Darcy (McArthur again). Her portrayal of the enigmatic, uptight ‘hero’ is as exquisite as I remember. She nails his inarticulacy, highlighting his inability to express himself, rendering him sympathetic, despite his brusque manner.

The difference lies in the telling. The conceit is that five servants are dressing up, playing, showing us what they’ve observed in the houses where they work. Thus class barriers are broken down, and so is the gap between the 19th century gentry and the theatre-goers of the 21st. McArthur’s talent lies in unveiling the jokes, so that Austen’s satire – hidden from a modern audience behind bonnets and mannered language – is exposed to the light. Via karaoke and biting sarcasm.

Hannah Jarrett-Scott almost steals the show: she’s a natural clown, clearly relishing the twin roles of Caroline and Charles Bingley, but also flashing her acting chops in a nuanced depiction of Charlotte Lucas, repressing her feelings for Lizzy. Christina Gordon (as Jane, Wickham and Lady Catherine) and Tori Burgess (as Lydia, Mary and Mr Collins) are both excellent too. I’ve nothing negative to say.

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is at the Lyceum until November 5th, which seems appropriate for such a dazzling firecracker of a show.

4.6 stars

Susan Singfield