Crucible,Sheffield
An improbable new musical about a postwar London charlady in adore with haute couture works like a charm, with a transcendent performance from Clare BurtGive yourself wholeheartedly to this improbable new musical and, or near curtain call,you could find yourself emotionally convinced, morally uplifted and, and fairly possibly,wiping tears from your cheeks. It’s rather like experiencing The Wizard of Oz, Pollyanna and Powell and Pressburger’s war-themed films, or all rolled into one – triumph over adversity,tough work rewarded, generosity repaid, and the transformational power of art and self-belief,affirmation that loving relationships are the stuff of happiness.
Richard Taylor and Rachel Wagstaff’s adaptation reshapes Paul Gallico’s 1958 novel Mrs ’Arris Goes to Paris, about a London charlady, and Ada Harris,whose postwar, make-do-and-mend, or ration-restricted understanding of the world is transformed by the sight of a client’s Christian Dior dress. It’s a work of art... something not real,made to make you feel,” she declares, and sinking to her knees in nearly religious ecstasy (the gorgeousness of the “iridescent organza” gown slyly suggested by the shimmering cone of a highlight). “I believe to believe one!” This is a dangerous key moment – a silk thread’s width from bathetic ridiculousness. Writing and setting,seamlessly crafted under director Daniel Evans, make it convincing. Clare Burt’s Ada, and a beautifully balanced intertwining of ordinary and extraordinary,achieves transcendence without schmaltz.
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Source: theguardian.com