Review: DARK OF THE MOON, Charing Cross Theatre
Photo credit: Tom Bowles
Last night, we were excited to be invited along to the press night of brand new musical Dark of the Moon at the Charing Cross Theatre. So, were we bewitched? Or did the show fail to cast us under its spell?
Based on a famous play and the traditional folk song ‘The Ballad of Barbara Allen’, the show follows the story of two star-crossed lovers: the mortal village outcast Barbara Allen and John, the Witch Boy from the Smoky Mountains. John and Barbara share a special connection, but Barbara can’t see him. John makes a wish to the Conjur Man and Conjur Woman to be turned human. His wish is granted, but with the catch that Barbara must remain loyal for a year, or John will be turned back into a witch forever and Barbara will meet her end.
Clearly inspired by the likes of Romeo and Juliet and Beauty and the Beast, told through the lens of what felt like a young adult graphic novel, Dark of the Moon is a tale as old as time: a social outcast from a “provincial town” falls in love with a beast. Their respective clans are at odds, and it feels a gloomy ending is almost inevitable. But in these well-known stories, we guess the point is not how long their love burns for, but how brightly it burns before it’s extinguished. Because some people would opt for a short-lived inferno rather than a long-standing, mundane burning flame.
Stylistically, we loved the music of the piece, taking inspiration from folk music and bluegrass, and there are some beautiful songs penned by Lindy Robbins, Dave Bassett, and Steve Robson. In fact, the foundations of the creative are incredibly strong. Libby Todd’s set design is robust and rustic, allowing the actors to work across multiple levels throughout the show, which we love to see. Craig Forrest-Thomas’s wig, hair, and makeup design really complements the piece; we particularly love their designs for the witch race: translucent, with winding black veins twining around their limbs like evil vines. Our creative standout is Jonathan Chan’s lighting design. Weaving us through the mortal world and magical witch world effortlessly, a show like this needs an extremely talented lighting designer, and they have found that in Jonathan. Not a beat or opportunity is missed.
Yet, for all the creative talent behind this piece, something is missing. Some moments are clear and cohesive, whereas others lack direction. We think director Georgie Rankcom finds a great sense of community and fluidity in the Appalachian mountain townsfolk, with some wonderfully uplifting choreography from Jane McMurtrie, but, be it because of the material or another underlying factor, the duo miss the mark when finding the soul of the witch folk. Yes, there is a clear antithesis from the townsfolk’s rich folk style to the witches’ high, belty rock vocals and jagged physicality, but it feels like the witches are all style and no substance. We are given no reason to empathise with them. We also don’t think that we, as the audience, ever feel the stakes hit the mark and whilst there are plenty of levels to work with on the stage, which are utilised, others moments leave the blocking feeling a bit under-utilised.
What feels clear in the room is that perhaps the writers of the piece, who have lived with this show for many years now, were reluctant to let go of certain musical numbers that weren’t needed for the plot, reluctant to shorten numbers for the sake of pace and engagement, and because of this, their clear love for the material, moments fall into feeling indulgent and it takes away from the stakes of the piece. The production finds the magic and the love but it truly struggles to find the stakes. We are desperate to find out more about the folklore behind the story and the witches’ history etc. What we don’t need to see are so many four-minute numbers of our star-crossed lovers on their knees “feeling”. It feels like the piece needed someone in the room who was willing to say “no” to the writers and highlight the plot points that were clearly in need of a jig, and because that didn’t happen, this writing almost feels defiant and defensive for the wrong reasons.
All this being said, there truly is the potential for a gorgeous show here, and we really hope the creative team will listen to the inevitable criticism coming the show’s way and rework the production, because it has all the potential to become another cult favourite amongst musical theatre audiences. The saving grace of this show is the fabulous casting of Peter Noden.
Our leading lady, Lauren Jones, is an undoubtable star, with nuanced emotional choices, ethereal smooth vocals, and a gripping stage presence. Here is a performer who clearly researches their character and the world the piece exists in. For the material and direction she had, we don’t think her performance can be faulted. We would love to see her cast as the lead in the musicals Violet or Bright Star one day.
Glenn Adamson also gives a wonderful and vulnerable performance as John the Witch Boy. Clearly drawing on the energy he gave to the role of Strat in Bat Out of Hell, he’s a vocal powerhouse, and the relationship between him and Jones is a tragic delight to watch.
Finally, though her character isn’t fleshed out much beyond “evil spectre”, Josie Benson as Conjur Woman is another standout. Some of the most roof-shaking vocals you will hear in the whole of the West End!
What the show needs now, after its initial run at Charing Cross Theatre, in our opinion, is to get back into the writing room, perhaps with a dramaturg, fill up the plot holes, remove some of the indulgence, flesh out the coven, and focus on the storytelling, because there truly is a world of potential here.
We hope this isn’t the end of its journey, and though this is a relatively firm review, we would still recommend going to see the show during its run. The tickets are extremely affordable, which is very commendable, there are some fantastic production elements, and the cast performances are sublime.
Though it’s our duty to give an honest critique of the performances we see on the nights we are invited to, it is not our duty to rip apart new musicals in their early stages. As British press, we should champion and support new work. So we reiterate that we really hope to see this show again in the future with a reworked script and some clearer marketing. There is a cult audience here to tap into if the team can find it.
An exciting new prospect in need of some external nurturing.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: James Edge
