The son of the king is yearning for purpose and fulfilment. His discontent with his lot as the unimpressive heir to the throne soon extends to his post-parricide disgruntlement at wielding power and his disillusionment with the love of a widow and her child.
With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (known for Godspell and Wicked) and book by Roger O. Hirson (with additional material by director Bob Fosse), Pippin is a lesser-known work and a challenge for the senior students at The Belfast School of Performing Arts to get their teeth into. A coming-of-age tale where an ordinary lad must overcome the voices in his head to decide for himself what it might mean to be extraordinary.
The first act’s study of flawed leadership and the king’s military calculations weighing up losses and gains have very contemporary resonances with today’s global conflicts. Other dialogue has a surprisingly modern feel. “When the king makes budget cuts, the arts are the first to go”: I had to check the script to prove that the director hadn’t added this line! And the observation that a now religiously-interested Pippin “longed to be touched by an angel” but yelps that “It wasn’t an angel who touched me!” pre-dates much of the open conversation about clerical/religious institution sex abuse, but sadly not the usually unreported occurrences.
The ruler’s court is modelled as a circus big top – full of illusion where everything is not as solid as it may seem – with eight narrators splitting the role of the ‘leading player’. Psychedelic costumes are matched by a Motown-inspired soundtrack stretching across rock, pop, R&B and beyond. There’s a dream-like quality to the original plot with recurring cheeky moments when the fourth wall is knowingly broken. As a musical, Pippin is unserious with every gloomy scene also including humour.
Oliver Chestnut plays the titular figure across all the performances, introducing his character with a solid
Corner of the Sky. On the Friday evening show I attended and reviewed, Max Anderson played King Charlemagne (too frothy in the opening, but excelling in the chapel scene towards the end of the first act). Paige Kennedy is the stepmother Falstrada (with a fine
Spread a Little Sunshine) alongside her macho son Lewis played by Hayden Shuttleworth (second in line to the throne, and underdeveloped in the second half of the plot). Hannah McAlister-Colacio as hippy grandmother Berthe delivers a joyful
No Time At All (with “cataracts and catarrh” and the audience joining in with the chorus). In the second act, Pippin is confronted by widow Catherine (Amy Nelson, who assuredly hit the powerful high notes in
Kind of Woman), Theo (Eloise Kirk, with a great sneer) and a duck called Otto (whose song
Prayer for a Duck has some delightful full-cast choreography at its close).
BSPA’s traditional post-interval treat came in the form of a beautifully blended harmony rendition of
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (released just one year after Pippin opened on Broadway) by Catherine Allison, Charlotte Prentice, Sophie McCullough, Sarah Kerins, Robyn Turner and Sofia Lamberton. The ensemble crank up the emotion for a stunning final number. While there are some familiar faces from previous junior and senior summer productions – Max Reid and Nina Rodrigues stand out with their confidence on stage – it’s heartening to see lots of fresh faces being enjoying the chance to be trained up to the high standard BSPA achieves each year.
This production of
Pippin is strongest when the cast members throw themselves into a scene or a song with gusto. It’s not really written as a subtle piece of theatre. It requires unhindered exuberance and commitment to the silliness or seriousness of the moment. Adam Darcy has the cast singing confidently off the mix of backing tracks and live keyboard. Mira Rendilheiro’s choreography enhances the flower power vibe, though some of the interstitial routines feel very standalone and disconnected from the plot.
Director Peter Corry along with the creative and technical team have helped the cast of more than forty actors bring an unexplored musical to life. There are still a few tickets available for the Saturday matinee and evening performances at The MAC.
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