REVIEW: OKLAHOMA! IN CONCERT @ THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE

🎭 Oklahoma! In Concert

📍  Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Catherine Street, london WC2B 5JF                            

🗓 Tuesday 20 August 2024

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MORE THAN JUST OK!

Last night there was a bright golden haze over the Theatre Royal Drury Lane as classic musical OKLAHOMA! returned to its original London home, 77 years after it was first performed on the iconic stage.

Billed as a concert, this was a much fuller production than other concert versions I've seen with full choreography, costumes and props. Other than the orchestra being on the stage and visible, this felt like a fully fledged production and I loved every second of it.

After the Young Vic version in 2022 and its subsequent transfer to the West End last year, you may ask whether London needed another staging of OKLAHOMA!, and the answer is - absolutely yes!

The moment the 27-piece London Musical Theatre Orchestra, led by Ben Glassberg, began the overture a wave of euphoria filled the auditorium as the gorgeous Rodgers and Hammerstein music caressed our hearts.

Phil Dunster shone as Curly. His smooth vocals on songs such as Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' and The Surrey with the Fringe on Top were deliciously delightful and his Curly was both warm and calculating in equal measures.

Zizi Strallen was sublime as his love interest Laurey. Her vocals were faultless throughout and were perfect for this traditional staging. She gave classical musical theatre vibes, the kind it's rare to hear these days and was triumphant in her portrayal. Her version of People Will Say We're In Love alongside Dunster was a real show-stopping moment.

I have wanted to see Christina Bianco perform on stage for a long time and she didn't disappoint as the gloriously flirtatious Ado Annie. Her comic timing is exceptional and she absolutely devoured I Cain't Say No completely making it her own and receiving rapturous applause at its conclusion.

Her two suitors were portrayed by Jordan Shaw and Irvine Iqbal. As loveable fool Will, Shaw gave an energetic performance and you could really feel the love that his character had for Ado Annie. He is a very expressive performer and he somehow managed to give depth to a character that I've always found very surface level. He also displayed sensational vocals.

Iqbal was brilliant as Ali Hakim and had me belly laughing as he embodied the very being of the character. His natural wit and the way he gave knowing looks to the audience was wonderfully luminous.

Joanna Riding was dominant and caring as Aunt Eller. Depending on the production the character can either be standoffish or warm and I think Riding's portrayal sat somewhere in the middle! She gave me everything I wanted and more and she quickly recovered from her fall and even made a joke of it. The mark of a true professional.

I was overjoyed to see Nicole-Lily Baisden on stage again after she made my list of top performers last year for her role in 42nd Street. Even though Gertie is a relatively small character, she still managed to light up the stage with her performance.

For me though, the absolute standout performance of the evening came from Tosh Wanogho-Maud as Jud. He was intense as terrifying as he morphed himself into the creepy farmhand. Wanogho-Maud is an utterly captivating performer and here he completely drew the audience into the depths of his soul, giving possibly the best musical theatre performance of the year. His vocals were sublime and you could have heard a pin drop during his rendition of Lonely Room. Also his vocal control alongside Dunster in Pore Jud is Daid was breathtaking and a real masterclass in performance.

Bill Deamer's direction and choreography were stunning and the fantastic ensemble exectued the dance routines with precision and apparent ease, gracefully filling the stage and bringing utter joy to the performance.

No review of OKLAHOMA! IN CONCERT would be complete without mentioning the London Musical Theatre Chorus whose elegant voices added depth and fullness to this incredible production.

It is safe to say that as a long time fan of this musical, this production blew me away and I'm gutted it only played for three performances. It was absolutely beautiful and I would love to see it be given a full run because it deserves to be seen by a wider audience.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one reviewer.  

CAST LIST:

Phil Dunster as Curly McLain; Zizi Strallen as Laurey Williams; Tosh Wanogho-Maud as Jud Fry; Jordan Shaw as Will Parker; Christina Bianco as Ado Annie; Joanna Riding as Aunt Eller; Irvine Iqbal as Ali Hakim; Nicole-Lily Baisden as Gertie Cummings; Sebastien Torkia as Andrew Carnes

Ensemble: George Beet; Ashleigh Graham; David McIntosh; Amonik Melaco; Carrie Willis; David Winters; Jessica Wright

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 40 minutes, including interval