The musical traces the life of Annie Oakley (Jane Horrocks), a small-time crackshot who starts touring the States showing off her shooting, and becomes so successful she even tours Europe. But running parallel with her success are her attempts to win over Frank Butler (Julian Ovenden), a rival gunslinger who takes her under his wing but quickly comes to resent her natural ability and showmanship (showwomanship? showomanship?). As Annie becomes more and more of a hit, Frank withdraws his affections from her; the drama builds towards a final confrontation, where Annie must decide between her reputation as a sharpshooter and her love for Frank.
Horrocks and Ovenden were both on top form: Annie was dopey without being idiotic, and sarcastic without being cynical; Frank meanwhile lived up to his playboy reputation as he swaggered about the stage exuding charm and style. But there was also tenderness in both their performances, and They Say It's Wonderful stayed in my head for days after viewing. It was an onstage chemistry that drew in the audience and captivated.
Of course, something must be said for the staging. Once again, part of the charm of seeing this production was its setting, as the stage of the Young Vic was transformed into a saloon bar, with four pianos at the base of the stage. All the music was provided by these pianos, thrillingly played live. A couple of simple tricks and a sparse setting transformed the stage to a backstage set, a train, a boat and even a swish New York apartment. It was simplicity that further empowered the spirited performances from the ensemble. Annie's lullaby to Jessie, with hums and howls from the Native Americans, was especially touching.
And musically? Well, I mentioned the pianos, but really the clincher was the fact that this isn't Lloyd Webber. The songs have a depth and beauty that far exceeds more recent musicals, and it was truly a pleasure to be lifted by such melodies and transported far beyond my seat in the third row. It's the fact that the songs are not structured so conventionally as to be tedious. The refrains may repeat, but they are never repetitive. Indeed, the repeated structures just affirmed a level of care in Berlin's composition that was thrilling and complemented by the coherence of the production.
I wondered about Sitting Bull and Jessie's performances, the former for being too stilted, the latter for being clumsy, but I think it is too much to judge too fiercely. They hardly marred the performance as a whole for me.
A great afternoon's entertainment.
***
2009
Jane Horrocks, Julian Ovenden
by Irving Berlin
dir. Richard Jones
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