The Sorcerer, Wilton’s Music Hall Review
Richard Stuart in The Sorcerer. Photo by Bill Knight. Written by Bronagh for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
The Sorcerer dates back to 1877, a comic opera based around a whole village taking a love potion that results in some, shall we say, very interesting pairings. This rarely performed production is taking centre stage at Wilton’s Music Hall for a short period only – a venue older than the production itself!
The Sorcerer, to me at least, seemed to get off to quite a slow start which took me a little longer than I would have preferred to actually get engaged and get to grips with what was going on. I will hold my hands up and say that I personally found the opera singing took a little bit of getting used to, having never really listened to opera before. Once I did get into it a little more, I found The Sorcerer to be very charming, entertaining and an enjoyable watch.
My first thoughts when entering the gorgeous Wilton’s Music Hall was, of course, how sweet the set is. Made up of a tea van, painted with wildflowers and with cakes on the counter, it was all just so twee and lovely to look at. It really set the old village-y vibe, a comforting sight to see, particularly in such a historic building. You could practically hear the church bells and smell the tulips!
As mentioned, The Sorcerer is a comic opera and my first proper experience of this. I have to say, I was truly blown away by the singing and was hardly able to believe what I was hearing! Ellie Neate as Aline and Meriel Cunningham as Constance were particularly stand outs, with some impressive notes coming from the bottom of their lungs and reaching every corner of the Hall to the absolute joy of the audiences. Robin Bailey was equally as impressive as the impossibly upper class Alexis; plummy, sing song-y and a delight to watch.
We were not short of a good few laughs throughout the two acts. Meriel and Ellie’s facial expressions were fantastically on point, particularly Meriel’s mock shock and shyness. Rosie Strobel at Mrs Partlet – Constance’s mum and owner of the aforementioned tea van – is a highly entertaining watch whenever she is on the stage. The silliness is endearing, light hearted and a pleasant watch.
David Eaton’s musical direction compliments the astounding singing voices wonderfully, and Aaron J Dootson’s lighting is spot on throughout. Wilton’s Music Hall is such a lovely venue with so much potential; superb acoustics heard from roof to ceiling, corner to corner. This setting really adds to the old-timeliness of The Sorcerer, the most perfect place to stage it.
Overall I did find The Sorcerer to be an enjoyable watch, however, I wouldn’t say it was a show that I absolutely loved. Absolutely no fault of the cast and creatives, who are all marvellously talented, and worthy of five stars themselves. Some audience members clearly loved it, and I can completely see why. It’s amusing and rather sweet in parts, just harder to follow and get my teeth into in other parts. I wouldn’t not recommend it to anybody, and it clearly does have an adoring audience. A solid three stars from me, and I would say try and grab a ticket if this is the type of show that would appeal to you.
At Wilton’s Music Hall until 15th June 2024.
☆ ☆ ☆
