📍The Young Vic, London

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If you, like me, cannot resist a kitchen-sway to Elis Costello, there is a high chance you’d be charmed by the music of Young Vic’s world premiere musical ‘A Face in the Crowd’. With music by Costello, and book by Sarah Ruhl, this new musical (based on the 1957 film of the same title) follows Larry ‘Lonesome’ Rhodes (Ramin Karimloo), a drunken drifter who is discovered by radio presenter Marcia Jeffries (Anoushka Lucas) and catapulted into stardom.

For a story conceived and set in the 1950s a fair question might be ‘Why now?’, but this is ultimately a story of hubris – a tale as old as time. ‘A Face in the Crowd’ is a smart satire, rolling its message into an entertaining plot, with a cast packed with charisma and star-power. We open with Marcia’s radio slot, a segment spotlighting every-day people – people you wouldn’t usually hear on the radio – where she comes across downtrodden Larry Rhodes in a jailhouse, interviewing him and inadvertently sparking a flame. From there, Larry ‘Lonesome’ Rhodes quickly becomes a household name, from local radio, to national TV and eventually segueing into politics.

The whole show is a comment on the dangers of fame as we see Lonesome become progressively drunker on the power he possesses. There are complex messages woven into the plot and characters (and songs) at a crucial political time in the US, making this musical all the more relevant. While the messaging is clear, with increasingly obvious parallels drawn between Lonesome and Donald Trump, the delivery of this cautionary tale is packaged into a fairly one dimensional script. There is little room for characters to develop, especially throughout the exposition of the musical, and so from the outset it is difficult to invest in their journeys. A few more tweaks and you’d be forgiven for mistakenly thinking it was a piece of Brechtian theatre – perhaps more credit should have been given to an audience who don’t need political messaging to be so on the nose. A subtler, more character-driven approach to the script would’ve perhaps made for a more thrilling and nuanced outcome.

The music however, is a hit: crooning, buttery ballads, tight harmonies and power-house moments for both Karimloo and Lucas make each song easy listening and sometimes allow for moments of that much-needed characterisation. Karimloo – one of musical theatre’s definitive leading men – is completely at ease on stage and in the role of Lonesome. He is perfectly cast as someone whose charisma sweeps up a nation as he charms the audience, whilst skillfully playing the knife-edge of a dangerous, too-powerful egotistical man. Anoushka Lucas’s voice is made for singing this genre of music. I remember loving her interpretation of Laurie Williams in Oklahoma! At the Young Vic a couple of years ago, and through the music she is able to explore more emotional depth and range to Marcia Jeffries, and brings the house down with her solo numbers (the Act Two finale is especially moving).

The always-transforming space in the Young Vic has been turned into a proscenium set up, which feels instantly reminiscent of a TV studio audience; a simple and effective design choice to immerse the audience further into the piece. The balcony and side of stage and often used for ensemble one-liners, again opening up the space and helping the pace of the whole show. Anna Fleischle’s set design allows for quick location changes, with a couple of stand-out moments where a train carriage is re-created on stage, as well as a stunning New York penthouse in the dramatic Act Two finale.  

Ultimately, this is an enjoyable show with the potential for effective and smart commentary; the songs are catchy and the plot is successfully lifted from the original film.

A Face in the Crowd runs until 9^th November at the Young Vic Theatre.

Tickets and information: https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/face-the-crowd