The Fabulist, Charing Cross Theatre Review

Written by Cathie for Theatre and Tonic.

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

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When one thinks of opera one usually thinks of tragedy, warbling solos and a lot of European melodrama. The Fabulist production at Charing Cross Theatre presents a refreshing twist on the traditional opera, reworking Giovanni Paisiello's The Imaginary Astrologer into a whimsical operetta. Originally composed for Catherine the Great, this adaptation turns the simple tableau into a playful, light-hearted spectacle complete with a new book and lyrics.

It is definitely a play where you need to leave your scepticism or any rational thought at the door as there is not much sense throughout. However, it is a fun play to laugh at the absurdity and enjoy a plot from a simpler time. The plot revolves around two sisters Clarice (Reka Jones) and Cassandra (Lily De La Haye) who are attempting to put on a silent film about Troy when two magician fabulists come to Tuscany. These fabulists are Julian (Dan Smith) and Pupuppini (Constantine Andronikou) who cause chaos and fun as they fall in love with the sisters and avoid their Cardinal Uncle (Stuart Pendred) in his zeal to punish and electro shock any magicians in devotion to the church. Clarice and Julian are supposedly madly in love and must prove to her father Count Petronius (James Paterson) that they belong together. This is a very unconvincing love entanglement and I was much more interested in the 44 previous suitors who attempted feats such as scaling Everest and swimming the Aegean sea for her hand. Throughout we see plenty of good magic tricks and sleights of hand but the plot is very loosely connected to the different elements and it feels like too much was tossed in to try and pad out the very limited original storyline.

The songs were interesting but not especially memorable and retained the odd cadences of their former language before they were translated into English, so it is an odd experience to see how the actor’s voices and speech altered for the songs. I would say this is a operetta as opposed to a musical as it contains a lot of slapstick comedy, hiding characters in odd places and fun magical tricks. Despite these shortcomings, the strong cast brings lots of energy and fun to the stage. However, the focus on humour and illusion often leaves key elements of the plot, such as the sisters' financial struggles, Mussolini’s dictatorship, and the church’s power, feeling underdeveloped. These themes, intended to add depth, end up as mere background to the playful antics.

Overall, The Fabulist is an ambitious production, especially given the small theatre setting. While it may not always achieve its premise, it offers an entertaining evening, particularly for fans of Paisiello’s music or those who enjoy light, farcical operettas. If you appreciate gentle farce, operettic songs, and a fluffy plot, then this is the show for you.

At Charing Cross Theatre until 21 September 2024.

★ ★ ★