Reader views (2)

 Add your view

Just caught Silence - The Musical at Barons Court, London, England. Saw it on Broadway Fringe a few years back and can guarantee it's certiainly lost nothing in translation.
Dont know this cast but cant believe they're only doing a short run (maybe they're tee-ing it up for a touring production?). A really tight group. The interplay between Lechter (Tom Murphy) & Clarice Starling (Charlie Cable) is both chilling and laugh-out-loud funny. Clearly two professionals who know what a good double-act looks like.
At the same time, Buffalo Bill (Connor Brown) and Clarise seem to have found a great balance between being truely offensive, totally believeable and consistantly on the mark with their parody of the film characters - in fact Clarice seems to be able to out-lisp Jodie Foster (and sing in a red-kneck accent) without wavering in her charachter from the outset to the final curtain. (Note: there is no curtain! Barons Court Theatre is 'compact' - but that just makes David Phipps-Davis' direction and staging that much more admirable.
All in all - a really strong cast throughout and some really tight cameo performances. Go see it while you've still got the chance!

- So - Entertain Me!, Manhattan, NY, USA, 28/10/2009 00:33
Report abuse

There's little doubt that 'Silence - The Musical' is unlikely to be a massive hit amongst Disney on Ice audiences.
However, if you need a great night out in London without wanting to resort to the 'formula' tourist theatre that's churned out everywhere (and you're pretty broad-minded) this show will almost certainly appeal.
The lyrics are pretty close to the bone; the story-line includes male nudity, a lesbian crush & non-PC 'fat' jokes; and the theatre is intimate rather than West End glamour. However, as the great Kenny Everet would have said 'It's all done in the best paaasible taste!'
The cast are strong from start to finish - Hannibal (Tom Murphy) has just the right degree of menacing about him; Buffalo Bill (Connor Brown) seems to know just how to give you the willies - even when he's got his clothes on; and Charlie Cable is a bit of a find in her first lead role as Clarice Starling - great characterisation and an enviable ability to deliver a consistant, Jody Foster parody accent / lisp thoroughout, with humour and comic timing throughout the set pieces and song list.
Director David Phipps-Davis really has managed to get a quart into a pint pot with this one.
Highly reccommended!
Fringe Guru.

- Fringe Guru, London W1, UK, 26/10/2009 21:49
Report abuse

Add your comment