Bugsy Malone is one of those musicals which is perennially popular. A gangster story with lots of comedy, drama, and silliness, it’s a guaranteed auditorium filler. Add in a spate of splurge guns and some truly stupendous music, and you know you’re in for a theatrical treat.
The Pump House Children and Youth Theatre production somehow managed to elevate this sure fire hit to a new level of entertainment and joy. The cast were clearly having a whale of a time hamming up the jokes, playing up the larger than life characters, and revelling in the sumptuous jazz age setting.
The whole show was held together stupendously by Lily Ridout as Bugsy Malone. She had a magnificent confidence in talking directly to the audience and led us through the story with clarity and charm. She imbued Bugsy with just enough swagger to be convincing as the streetwise chancer, and just enough humility to make the romance fizz. Bugsy's love interest Blousy was played with an uncompromising waspishness by India Tearle, which made the gentle dreaminess of her songs all the more effective by contrast. The gaggle of gangsters led by the sophisticated Playton Filatov as Dandy Dan and the irrepressible Jack Stevens as Fat Sam proved to be a hilarious and raffishly rag -tag ensemble.
One stand out singer was Eden Clancy as Fizzy. He had an utterly captivating voice, mixing vulnerability and melancholia with a heart wrenching sweetness and surprising strength and projection. He could be parachuted into the West End to play Oliver without a moment's hesitation. He even threw in a few tap time steps for good measure!
Zachery Makanda-Tan made the most of his cameo as Cagey Joe, once again (following his Pharaoh in Joseph) showing his star power by matching charisma with hard work, appearing faultless on every melody line and choreographic move.
The final musical number, You Give A Little Love and It All Comes Back To You proved a fitting closing anthem for a show that connected cast, crew and audience in a joyful melange of cream pies, cracking performances and good humour. The standing ovation was well deserved!
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