Review: CLOSE UP - THE TWIGGY MUSICAL, Menier Chocolate Factory
Photo credit: Manuel Harlan
Any cast is bound to feel extra pressure on gala night. This must have been especially true for Elena Skye in the title role of Ben Elton’s new musical Close-up: The Twiggy Musical. Not only was she tasked with being on-stage as Twiggy alongside video and still images of the real thing, but for gala night, Twiggy herself was in the audience. And the rest of the company must have been feeling under scrutiny because she was sitting next to Dustin Hoffman…
As told in the show, Twiggy herself dealt admirably with pressure, at least in her professional life. On a personal level, it seems to have been a different story, experiencing what we now know is coercive and controlling behaviour from lovers and managers and living in what seems to have been an abusive relationship with an alcoholic husband.
Writer/director Ben Elton has taken a very straightforward approach to telling the story of Twiggy. For a start, it’s a chronological tale. Secondly, he has his Twiggy talking directly to the audience about what was going on in her life, why she did what she did and how it made her feel. As with many of his works, this allows the ‘voice of Ben’ to be heard no matter who is talking. And whilst this approach also makes for commendable clarity, would the effect have been more powerful if we had been allowed to see and feel this through the drama, rather than simply being told it?
Let’s not forget, though, that this is a musical. Yes, it’s a jukebox, but as Twiggy epitomises the 60s, it feels completely natural to set at least some of her life to the beat of swinging London. Ben Elton’s script often takes a slightly heavy-handed approach to explaining why a certain song is about to be sung, but there are some clever choices, not least the classic Bernard Cribbins number ‘Right Said Fred’ adapted into a brilliant comic song about changing nappies.
As mentioned, Elena Skye as Twiggy finds herself onstage in front of videos and still images of the actual Twiggy. And it must be said that the “face of ’66”, projected across the set and looking out at us across the decades, remains more stunning and captivating than anything else on stage. But for most of the time, Skye benefits from the juxtaposition. It’s a charming and winning performance and the ‘lecture’ style of the narrative at least brings us closer to her. As does her innocence in the face of circumstances that today would be thought as shocking if not completely inappropriate. For example, she was in a relationship with her then 25 year old manager (a suitably obnoxious Matt Corner as Justin de Villeneuve) when she was just 15 and still at school.
Steven Serlin plays her no-nonsense father, but also does sterling and often hilarious work as a succession of well-known personalities, including David Frost, Woody Allen and Melvyn Bragg. The stand-out performance comes from Hannah-Jane Fox as Twiggy’s mum; never quite the same after having electroconvulsive therapy as ‘treatment’ for post-natal depression. The emptiness in her eyes speaks volumes. At the same time, she provides a brilliant comic performance.
It’s in the comedy that the show feels at its most assured and relaxed. Ben Elton obviously knows what he’s doing in this regard, and his skill is evident. Combined with mostly uplifting musical numbers, this results in a celebration of a remarkable woman: a British icon whose story needs to be told and whose remarkable life deserves to be recognised and celebrated. For many of us, Twiggy has always been there. But neither her achievements, nor the attitudes and behaviours she overcame, should be taken for granted. Perhaps Close-up: The Twiggy Musical will help people notice just how significant an icon she is.
An icon gets the celebration she deserves.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Jonathan Webb
Close-Up: The Twiggy Musical plays at the Menier Chocolate Factory until 18 November, with tickets available here.