Evita at Watford Palace Theatre

Evita is one of those musicals that has been enjoyed by so many audiences over so many years that it can genuinely be described as part of the public consciousness. Don’t cry for me Argentina was such a pop chart success that even avowed musical theatre avoiders can hum the chorus.

How charming then to be presented with this fresh and thoughtful revival from Cassio Productions. The unfussy direction encourages you to focus on the characters and see them anew. The stage craft feels deliberately stripped back to concentrate simply on the unfolding story of a small town girl who claws her way to the top of the hierarchy, leaving you to make fresh judgements about the scale of her ambition.

The set is a scaffold podium that immediately evokes the fire and fury of agitprop and street politics. In our own turbulent times of rapid leadership changes, the all too real and threatening power of politics and rhetoric is emphasised by the stark metal lines that slash across your vision and emphasise the risk of a graceless fall.

Graeme Smith delivers a cynical Che, sarcastically commenting on the action while slinking in the sidelines. He has a wonderful way of relaxing the formal rhythm of the music so his singing feels colloquial and conversational. As a result he builds a collusive relationship with the audience as he guides us forward with banter and disapproving eye rolls.

The smooth crooner Magaldi is played with seductive cool by Adam Christie who, with a well placed pout or two, has audience members both on stage and off fluttering in delight. Andy Nicol’s authoritative Peron is an effective contrast, with his upright soldierly demeanour revealing the more controlling side of masculine ambition.

The Mistress, played beautifully by Beth Revens, brought the house down with her tender performance of Another Suitcase in Another Hall. But of course the night belonged to Katie Stephenson, whose sweet talking, demurely smiling Eva never let an opportunity to social climb slip through her fingers. Stephenson’s rich clear vocals, energetic dancing and captivating character portrayal mark her out as a true triple threat.

The live band were ably led by Clive Ogden, who drew some captivating harmonies out of the ensemble. And hats off to Elsie Betts not only for telling this story with such crispness, but for putting together some riotously complex chorus numbers that any professional production would be proud of.