Review: REDCLIFFE, Southwark Playhouse Borough

Photo credit: Pamela Raith

Redcliffe concludes by remarking that “this is just one of many stories”, but this new musical breathes extraordinary life into a recently uncovered tragic tale of forbidden queer love, based on true events that took place in 18th Century Bristol.

This is an impressive debut from West End fan favourite Jordan Luke Gage. He is known as a performer but has written the book, music, and lyrics for Redcliffe in which he also stars one as one of the ill-fated lovers, William Critchard. William is a shy local boy whose life takes a turn for the better and then worse when he meets Lieutenant Richard Arnold (Daniel Krikler) who is docked in Bristol for Christmas in 1752. There is an instance spark between the pair wonderfully captured by the song ‘A Million Things I Know’, but against a backdrop of religious persecution and familial and societal pressures, we can mournfully surmise how this heartbreaking story will end.

Sensitively directed by Paul Foster, Redcliffe fills Southwark Playhouse with a rousing contemporary score. Andrew Exeter’s simple but effective set and Martin Hanly’s muted but patterned costumes allow the story to shine. For William and Richard, love cannot conquer all, but Gage’s songs capture the joy of the brief time the pair are afforded together. The show also features a number of ballads and haunting harmonies which highlight the talent of the outstanding cast and allow us to greater understand their nuanced characters. Redcliffe is also surprisingly funny and there are a plethora of callbacks and recurring jokes which make this harrowing show equally endearing and hopefully. A special mention must go to standout performer Rebecca Lock who is sensational and hilarious as William’s overbearing mother but also displays her vocal talent in her heart-wrenching rendition of ‘Hurricane’.

Many musicals suffer by focusing too much on the songs and in turn neglect the scenes, but Redcliffe is not one of them. There are moments when the text verges on being too modern. The use of swear words feels jarring in the 18th Century, but both the book and score are central in capturing the tender relationship between William, his mother and spirited sister Abigail (Jess Douglas-Welsh), and the charming and devastating nature of the show. This chemistry extends to our central pair, and it is wonderful to watch the initial resistance of William and Richard blossom into love. As Daniel Krikler and Jordan Luke Gage’s characters give their hearts to each other the couple, Gage in particular, gives their everything to the story of Redcliffe.

Gage, Krikler and the whole cast and creative team can be proud and assured that they have honoured the memory of William and Richard and ensured we remember that the persecution of the queer community is regrettably not just a thing of the past.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Sophie Luck

Redcliffe plays at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 4 July, with further info here.