‘Everybody Can Can!…’ Moulin Rouge, Piccadilly Theatre, London 29.01.2022

When this production was announced that it would be making its way to London, I was not going to purchase tickets when they were first released. So on a sunny May day, 8 month wait my first show of 2022 was a good one! As I was taking a trip to the Moulin Rouge

Based on the classic Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film starring Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge is brought to life remixed as new musical mash-up extravaganza! Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris where the drinks flow freely, bohemians rub shoulders with aristocrats, and within the glitz and glamour of the Moulin Rouge beauty and splendor, a courtesan Satine and a composer Christian fall in love but falls into tragedy.

From the moment you step into the auditorium you are blown away by aura of red and transformation of the stage. It really is a character in itself. From the mind of scenic designer Derek McClane, you are in awe of your surroundings and completely forget you are in a London Theatre with a Elephant and Windmill overtaking the boxes of either side of the stage. Complimented well with the Lighting by Justin Townsend and the glamorous costumes by Catherine Zuber, it really is visually stunning. The cast themselves make sure they ensure full use of the beautiful set thanks to the amazing, perfectly choreography of Sonya Tayeh. The Group numbers are mesmerizing, especially the opening of Act 2 Bad Romance where the gutted stage/rehearsal space was fully engulfed by the power of dance! I also loved how LGBTQ was portrayed with men dancing with men and women with women in each number, we really are moving through the ages and its so good to see! =

The film musical has had a bit of an uplift, although it follows a similar storyline there are a few aspects that are different from that of the original film. One big change is the of the soundtrack, which has been upgraded to suit todays music era, it does however keep Your Song and Come What May which is true to the film. You really get a glimpse of the upgraded soundtrack especially with Elephant Love Medley with various love songs such as ‘Take on Me’ ‘What’s Love Got To Do With it’ ”Love Hurt’s being mashed into an epic song. A Particular favourite of mine has to be the mash up of songs Shut up and Dance and Raise Your Glass when Santine and Christian meet, Music Supervisor Justine Levine really did knock it out the theatre!

Now all of this would not be possible without the cast bringing and giving it the talent it needed to compliment the visually stunning show. Ive already said the dancing was top notch but the main cast really ensured you get the full package! Fresh out of drama school Jamie Bogyo steps into the leading man Christian like he has been doing this for years. A new face on stage to a character yet to be established in London theatre can be daunting, with many West End fans thinking of performers that could have played the role. Jamie to me was perfect, his innocence and character really engulfed the role and his singing voice – beautiful and warming, he is a true professional and I can see him going far in his career. His friendship with Toulouse played by the ever outstanding Jason Pennycooke, and Santiago by the not a step out of time Ella La Tauro was a great trio. But, his love and heart belonged to Satine played by Liisi LaFontaine, who not only looks stunning but is strong and excellent within the role. Her passion and desire was clearly displayed along with her conflict of knowing what was the right path for her was true emotions.

Clive Carter takes on Harold Zidler a role created in the film by Jim Broadbent, Clive ensures that he plays tribute to Jim but also ensures that he has a unique take on the role that made him instantly loveable by the whole audience. He gave everything on stage and you can clearly see he was loving being on it. Then you have The Duke, Simon Bailey steps into the money bags aristocrat with ease and class. Although, dark and controlling he ensured there were some light humourous moments especially in the opening lines of Only Girl in a Material World. It was great to see him in the role and he was the perfect man to originate the character for the London Cast.

Without a doubt Moulin Rouge was everything I wanted and more, having been a massive fan of the soundtrack prior to it coming to London hearing it live and performed on stage was just amazing and so much better – as it should be! Whether you know the film or not, you will love this show as it has the visuals, the talent and the sound that makes it an out of this world musical extravaganza! I can only hope to catch it again – little did I know I would be 29 weeks pregnant when I bought the tickets in May!

For all information about Moulin Rouge head to their website here.