26 June – 9 August
Giving the people what they want seems to be the, not unwelcome, guiding principle behind John Logan’s stage adaption of the Baz Luhrmann film from 2001. As plots go it’s the kind of easy-going fare one might find in an opera or, what is closer in tone, operetta. A nasty aristocrat, The Duke (James Bryers) and a penniless composer, Christian (Nate Landskroner) tussle over the affections and soul of the celebrated star of the Moulin Rouge, Satine (Verity Thompson). Stir in the power of money, position, tragic consumption and a woman’s traditional dilemma on the stage (love or money) and you can see we are on familiar ground.
“Jukebox’” musicals rely a lot on the familiarity and popularity of the songs on offer. Moulin Rouge! The Musical goes in for a bit of spread betting with no less than seventy-four songs credited. Somewhat tongue-in-cheek whole clutches of pop songs going back many decades are strung together in some of the scenes, with mash-ups of a few bars of this or that song being made comical bedfellows on the basis of an appropriate phrase. Occasionally a song pops up which could have been written for the play: Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s Your Song and Adele’s Rolling In The Deep being two such, adding to the moment by capturing the emotion or mood. It’s definitely a fun aspect of the play in trying to ‘name that tune’, before the next one skips along.
This is a lavish production. Happily the performances are large enough to match the settings. Satine is given an impressive build up as the star of The Moulin Rouge and Verity Thompson comfortably owns the stage in her big opening numbers, reassuringly justifying the hype. She moves with the assurance of someone who blooms in the spotlight. Singing across the production is strong, each of the leading actors producing fine performances. The live band hidden under the stage in the orchestra pit, are tight and flexible, seamlessly making the quick changes between songs and moods.
Sonya Tayeh’s choreography makes no bones about sex being the main driver in the Moulin Rouge’s offering to those curious to see the seedier side of Montmartre. The dance numbers are all hip-grindingly erotic whilst suggesting the liberation offered by the less than polite society of that part of Paris.
Derek McLane’s giant heart of a set, which greets the audience, is very much a scene setter, suggesting the opulence of the Moulin Rouge. The changes of location to rehearsal stage and various other locations are all equally successful in their own way, be it garret or dressing room. The settings and the sumptuous lighting design are undoubtedly as much the stars of the show as the performers.
If spectacle is your thing, Moulin Rouge! The Musical will not disappoint.
★★★★☆ Graham Wyles, 2 July 2025
