Bonnie & Clyde is hellraising in theatres around the UK after an award winning run in London’s West End in 2022. At the height of the Great Depression, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went from two small town nobodies to America’s most renowned and infamous folk heroes – and Texas law enforcements worst nightmare. Winner of the WhatsonStage‘Best New Musical 2023’ award, the West End sensation is set to delight audiences across the country with this timeless tale of love and adventure.
Alex James-Hatton leads the cast of 15 strong as Clyde Barrow. James-Hatton’s vocals are absolutely a stand out in this production, tackling challenging numbers such as ‘Raise A Little Hell’ effortlessly. His interpretation of Clyde still provides humour to the piece, despite the hardship and frustration that ultimately drives the character to a dedicated life of crime. It would be interesting to explore the emotions and motivation we see in ‘Raise A Little Hell’ further and carry this into Act 2 for numbers such as ‘Too Late to Turn Back Now’. His rendition of ‘Bonnie’ showcases his vocal ability beautifully, where we see a softer side to Clyde. James-Hatton appears as Clyde in February to July tour dates exclusively.
By his side is Katie Tonkinson as Bonnie Parker. Tonkinson’scharacterisation is strong from the start, effortlessly switching from childhood Bonnie to present Bonnie demonstrating excellent vocal technique and physicality – her southern twang is almost addictive to listen to. Something really clicks in Act 2 however, when Tonkinson dawns the iconic dress and ravishing red hair – we truly see a clear switch in her character here, providing a complete contrast to her innocent, yet fiery nature that we previously see earlier in the piece. James-Hatton and Tonkinson complement each other well vocally and despite ultimately being criminals, they do succeed inmaking the iconic duo likeable.
Catherine Tyldesley, perhaps best known for her role as Eva in Coronation Street, stars as Blanche Barrow – Clyde’s sister in law and devoted wife to Buck Barrow, played by Sam Ferriday. Tyldesley and Ferriday are an absolute joy to watch with incredible chemistry, characterisation and physicality throughout. Tyldesley’s vocals in ‘You’re Goin’ Back to Jail’ and in contrast, ‘Now That’s What You Call A Dream’ fit Frank Wildhorn’s score beautifully. Tyldesley does approach Blanche with an element of subtle comedy, which ultimately lands well however, it would be interesting to see this slightly exaggerated in Act 1 so that as an audience, we see an even stronger, significant contrast later in the piece. Tyldesleyappears as Blanche February to May, before returning to the tour in September.
Sam Ferriday utterly thrives in the role of Buck Barrow. He effortlessly compliments everyone his character interacts with, whilst maintaining clear character intention and motivation. His duet with James-Hatton, ‘When I Drive’ was a particular highlight and could only be described as a vocal tennis match, of which an audience would be unwilling to make a decision on who ‘won’.
Daniel Reid-Walters delivers a beautiful and emotionally charged performance as Ted, a young deputy sheriff who is in love with Bonnie however, being on the right side of the law puts him in a difficult position. In the true story of Bonnie & Clyde, Ted Hinton was the youngest member of the law enforcement who ambushed Bonnie & Clyde. Reid-Walters captures an innocent yet driven side to Ted and his solo, ‘You Can Do Better Than Him’ is an acting through song and vocal masterclass. His vocals certainly hold their own, matchingFerriday and James-Hatton during ‘Raise A Little Hell (Reprise)’ which is a very significant moment for Ted’s character in the latter half of act 2.
Jaz Ellington, who audience members may recognise from The Voice features as The Preacher. This marks Ellington’s musical theatre debut and it will be exciting to see where this takes him next. Ellington’s vocals transcend through the theatre, showcasing the gospel elements of Wildhorn’s score. Ellington appears as The Preacher from February to July exclusively. Ellington’s numbers are enhanced further by the small, but impactful ensemble who take on many roles throughout the show. The ensemble features: Nate Landskroner (alt. Clyde); AJ Lewis; Jasmine Beel; Andrew Berlin; Oonagh Cox; Alexander Evans; Callum Henderson; Lauren Jones; Olivia Lallo (Dance Captain); James Mateo-Salt; Taryn Sudding and Michael Coretz (Resident Director).
The incredible score is the shining star of this production with music by Tony nominee, Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Tony and Oscar winner, Don Black (Sunset Boulevard) and book written by Emmy nominee, Ivan Menchell. Wildhorn himself described the score as ‘non-traditional, combining rockabilly, blues and gospel music’ therefore, creating the perfect platform for showcasing strong contemporary vocalists whilst also encouraging storytelling in its finest form, as Wildhorn’sscores have previously succeeded in (Jekyll & Hyde, Wonderland and Death Note: The Musical). It is a challenging, vocally demanding score to say the least, however the entire cast succeed in making the score sound effortless with pitch perfect vocals, character and storytelling in all the right places, truly submerging the audience in the authentic musical styles of America in the Great Depression. The band absolutely deserve a special mention, phenomenally lead by musical director, Issie Osborne. Despite being two levels sub stage due to pit size, their presence is very much felt throughout the musical numbers along with subtle underscoring.
Set and Costume design by Philip Witcomb, along with Lighting design by Zoe Spurr and Video Design by Nina Dunn work strongly in tandem to create an incredibly atmospheric space for our piece. Matching Wildhorn’s score, it is dark but detailed. Video design is something we are seeing more regularly in theatre, particularly touring productions. Video design and projections do work well for the majority of this production, however, can feel slightly jarring and a little distracting at times. The set itself is slick, seamlessly transitioning from a jail cell, Bonnie’s porch and the Sherriff’s office, with the assistance of video design and projections. The video design and projections do very cleverly allow us to witness moments that were captured by the real Bonnie & Clyde in ‘real time’. This is a superb touch to this production and reminds us that this duo existed outwith our two hours of entertainment. Meticulously created lighting design by Spurr certainly shines (pardon the pun) in Act 2 showcasing everything that it touches, both in terms of cast and the set itself.
Director Nick Winston has executed a strong vision with this production, with clear characterisation demonstratedthroughout from the entire cast, along with the effective practical elements as mentioned above. The choreography, also by Winston is minimal but incredibly effective in songs such as ‘Gods Arms Are Always Open’ and ‘Made in America’ executed with passion from the ensemble. The script itself does slightly lack the excitement that the musical numbers bring and overall, there is an element of ‘grit’ that is missing from this production. It would be interesting to explore connecting the passion from the score to some musical numbers and scenes that follow thereafter, elevating the emotional charge of the piece as a whole.
Direct from the West End, the UK touring production of Bonnie & Clyde is slick, sexy and fearless in its ambitions, much like the iconic duo themselves. Bonnie & Clyde continues to tour the UK until October 2024, stopping Glasgow later this month. The show runs until Saturday 13th April 2024 at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen. Tickets available here: https://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/whats-on/bonnie-and-clyde/
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