Musical of the week: Merrily We Roll Along, Harold Pinter Theatre, London SW1
The Menier Chocolate Factory's superlative Sondheim revival is all the more astonishing in that it marks the directing debut of singer/actress Maria Friedman.
This revival lays out the tricky narrative and emotional logic of an anti-clockwise story that follows a male composer/lyricist duo and their female writer friend as they travel backwards in time from a trashy Hollywood drinks party in the 1970s to a New York rooftop in 1957 and a sense of youthful possibility.
Mark Umbers, Jenna Russell and Damian Humbley give performances rich in texture and subtext, and the ace band do electric justice to a mordant, aching score. Thoughtful and thrilling: go.
0844 871 7627, to 27 July
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies