Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 - Donmar Warehouse Review
Cedric Neal and the company in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. Photo by Johan Persson
Written by Eleanor for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is a musical by Dave Malloy (who wrote the music, lyrics, and book), inspired by a section of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. The show was originally performed as a series of songs in 2011. It then opened off-Broadway a year later and then transferred to the Imperial Theatre in 2016. Great Comet first made its way to London in 2019 as part of a UK tour and is now resident at the Donmar Warehouse as a fully staged production.
As soon as the musicians began to enter the sides of the stage and the accordion started, I knew I was in for a good show. The opening number, ‘Prologue’, is brilliantly crafted and is a humorously self-aware tune which introduces the audience to the wide range of characters. I am unsure if this has been done in previous staging’s, but I particularly loved how they included repeated actions as part of this number to highlight the song’s complexity.
This joviality ends somewhat abruptly and we are introduced to one of the main protagonists of the piece – Pierre, played by Declan Bennett. Bennett’s characterisation of this introverted and reflective man was very compelling, with his voice drawing me in during numbers such as ‘Dust and Ashes’. I sympathised with his plight, warmed to his character, and wanted him to be able to see the joy of life as others did. In contrast, we are soon also introduced to Natasha, our other main protagonist played by Chumisa Dornford-May. She is more naïve to the world, particularly to love, but fills the space with positivity as she enters Moscow and society. Guided by her Godmother Marya (Annette McLaughlin) and her cousin Sonya (Maimuna Memon), it is her interactions which drive the main plot, and Dornford-May is an excellent lead here. Maimuna Memon’s voice is particularly unique and really stood out to me, her vocal storytelling – is wonderful, as she imbues the text with so much emotion.
Pippa Ailion’s casting for Great Comet is just excellent. The group as a whole believably convey the complex relationships between each other, with uplifting and cheery party numbers mixed with the seriousness and melancholy. Alongside Memon and Bennett, I also took note of Eugene McCoy’s performance as Prince Bolkonsky and others. His comic characterisation of the Prince greatly contrasts his other roles and is a testament to his versatility. Jamie Muscato was also an excellent Anatole. A character who just wants to amuse himself and fulfil his own pleasures, Muscato appeared to be having so much fun on stage and brought so much warmth to a character who should ultimately be unlikeable.
The Donmar is a relatively small theatre with little room for excessive staging or props, as have been used in Broadway run of Great Comet. But I found this show to remain innovative and memorable in lots of little ways. The set here, designed by Leslie Travers, includes this large hoop set piece which works well during Pierre’s first introduction and the opera scene. The way a duel between two characters is staged was also very engaging and fun, as was the use of a simple fireman’s pole to get from the raised area of the stage to the bottom. Similarly, Howard Hudson’s lighting design was very effective made the tonal shifts within the story very clear. Its use during the club scenes and ‘Balaga’ (where Cedric Neal seemed to be having the best time!) were particularly notable. But it was this lighting within the audience and its use at the end of Great Comet which left the most poignant impact.
Although I knew Great Comet would be the kind of show I would enjoy, I can admit that some may critique it more heavily. The pacing can come across a bit slow or monotonous at times due to the book’s innate structure; in the second half we follow Pierre as he travels to speak to one or two other characters at a time and each moment is accompanied by a comparable musical number. There are also a lot of moments within the tracks where characters will explain what they are doing rather than doing it. For example, ‘Sonya and Natasha’ includes lines such as “I embraced my friend” and “bursting into tears” but neither occurs on stage. Although there were some moments where this was overused, I thought this was an interesting reference to how the show’s plot was originally written word. I also think the music overall has good synergy and worked well as a whole to convey their thoughts and emotions of each character more deeply. I found the additional asides to the audience enjoyable, including the intimately positioned audience in the story, and helped to explain further this somewhat complex story.
In conclusion, this production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 offers strong performances, especially from Declan Bennett, and effective use of Donmar's intimate stage. The character development and evocative music created a memorable experience and a wonderful end to my year of theatre-going.
At Donmar Warehouse until 8 Feb 2025.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
