Review: Brigadoon at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre – the show is a marvel

Have you been to Brigadoon? It’s highly unlikely… it’s a mystical village that only appears one day, every 100 years in the Scottish Highlands. But if you head over to the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre before 20 September you can experience the magic that is Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon in a new adaptation by playwright Rona Munro, directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie.

The show really is a marvel, from the original music to the set by Basia Bińkowska. On entering the outdoor auditorium, the first impression is austere in style, Grand Designs-like architecture, but when filled with rich characters, endless heather and a small, babbling brook, the designed-for-purpose set becomes at one with the landscape and premise. All helped no end by the experience of being outdoors where (changing) natural light becomes the visual framing of the story, and Jessica Hung Han Yun’s expert lighting design enhances moods where necessary.

The structure of this adaptation is spot-on throughout – no scene feels too long, and even the I’m-going-to-burst-into-song-from-nowhere moments don’t feel hammy like they often can. McOnie has also found the right balance in relation to movement and storytelling.

There are pure dance numbers that feel energised and genuine, village scenes that flow with busied entrances and exits – from and into the bushes no less! – and big song numbers that include choreography that elevates, rather than detracts from, the melody and lyrics.

On 12 August we were lucky to experience Georgina Onuorah in the female lead of Fiona MacLaren. Onuorah is a star no doubt and has a voice so rich and powerful it would feel appropriate on any world stage tackling any score. Her Fiona is an awake woman in a dreamy scenario, and from the moment she takes the stage, it’s evident she’s the narrative axis and performance level reference point.

Elsewhere Nic Myers as Meg Brockie is engaging in the second, lead female role. Meg is living her life without fear, and Myers brings faultless comic timing and just the right amount of sass to make Meg a memorable and infectious character.

Of the male performers Gilli Jones as Charlie Dalrymple is a total heartbreaker. Charlie is about to get married to the love of his life and Jones brings the essence of unbridled love to every aspect of his performance. He doesn’t have the strongest voice on stage, but his conviction leaves no stone unturned.

All members of the cast gave great performances, enriched with dynamic understanding, but individually, Anne Lacey as Lundie brought spiritual gravitas, and Norman Bowman and Danny Nattrass as father and son Archie and Harry Beaton showed the complexity of community politics with understated power. Nattrass also proved himself to be a very gifted dancer, moving with agility, precision and characterisation throughout – which is also a befitting analysis of McOnie’s original and rigorous choreography. Light and shade is to be found everywhere.

Brigadoon hasn’t been performed in the UK for 36 years, and seeing the calibre of this production one can’t understand why. Often people suggest that art must align with current affairs, but the need for escapism in dark times is just as valid if not more so. Brigadoon is indeed otherworldly, but inside the mysticism are real life questions concerning community versus outsiders and reality versus delusion. Very timely I’d say.

Matthew Paluch Guest Author

Matthew Paluch was awarded a place at The Royal Ballet School in 1990 where he graduated in 1997. His first four years as a professional dancer were spent working with London City Ballet, Scottish Ballet, K-Ballet and English National Ballet, becoming a full-time member of ENB until leaving in 2006.

Matthew graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance, Professional Dancers’ Teaching Diploma in 2007, and was formerly on faculty at The Royal Ballet School. He completed his Masters in Ballet Studies at Roehampton University in 2011, has been a freelance writer since 2010 and currently works in the Law Sector.

He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.