Carrie – Southwark Playhouse 16.05.15

A – for me – long anticipated piece of musical theatre. And, as one of the biggest Stephen King fans I ever came across, a must-see. I loved the book, and the movie is one of the scariest I can remember. So right from the beginning, it had a lot of expectations to fulfil for me. From the day it opened, the reviews I saw were raving about the show, had nothing but praise for it’s display, it’s actors, it’s songs…safe to say I was beyond excited.

The moment I came into the room where the stage was, the atmosphere had instantly captured me completely.

It was a very small, intimate room with not much seating, and the stage was set right in the middle, with no barriers anywhere – you could stumble and would be slap bang the center of attention. The surroundings were perfectly chosen: creepy sounds, like the whistling of the wind, creaking doors and whatnot surrounded the audience while they waited for the show to start. What was clear right from the start for me that due to the proximity to the stage and the play, it would be very easy for the ones close to the first two rows to really feel with everyone on stage, to feel even more captured and personally involved.

The show itself…what can I say that hasn’t already been said enough? It was brilliant. Absolutely mindblowingly, breathtakingly brilliant. What Gary Lloyd and his team have done out of the book and the movie left me absolutely speechless. The choice of songs that have been created – beautiful. “In”, right the first song at the opening of the show – it has such an immense power inside, the vocals carry you along with them, and their message tells you about teenagers with the fear of an unknown future. “Carrie”, the title song which has vocals that leave you in complete awe – power and heart in one song, all displayed by one of the most stunning voices.  “Once You See” & “Dreamer In Disguise”, two very short but deeply touching ballads who bring out the best in the two singer’s vocals. “Eve Was Weak”, a song that starts slowly and soon turns into a religious and “brutal” piece of music that doesn’t leave you even afterwards because it gets easily stuck in your head. “Unsuspecting Hearts”, which, for me, is one of the most powerful and beautiful ballads ever written for and sung in a musical – not only because of it’s message behind it, but mostly because of the person singing it, giving it not only a voice, but their heart, their everything. These songs, even the more scary ones, all in their own way blow life into the play like nothing else could, except for the actors, of course. They give the characters a voice even if there’s nothing to say. Which brings us to the biggest subject: THE ACTORS.

There’s no doubt that actors make a show/play their own by their acting and singing. There is the stage set, the music, the costumes, but when it comes to it, a show is nothing with its actors. And to be honest, Gary Lloyd did a hell of a job choosing THE perfect Cast for “Carrie”:

Evelyn Hoskins (Carrie White):
What can you say about her without feeling you haven’t said enough? That girl IS Carrie. It’s like she was born to play this role. When news got out who had gotten the role, it was clear that she would have massive shoes to fill – what with Sissy Spacek being Carrie for most people when they heard the name of the book/movie. But the shoes Evelyn has now put on are – in my unpopular opinion – way bigger than anyone could’ve filled them. She outdid herself, completely. Her talent is breathtaking, and her “Carrie” solo was something out of this world. She can hold notes like no one else, and in each of them, no matter how deep or high she has to go, the audience can hear her heart pouring out; everyone around feels that she gives that role and song her absolute everything. Her display of that scared, insecure, bullied young girl who turns into an uncontrolled killing machine was something that was much anticipated by me. If you have read the book as much as I did, you have a certain attitude towards her, and to be honest, I never had such a big compassion for Carrie while reading the story. There was always something that sort of repelled me, as if Stephen King didn’t want his readers to like Carrie. And even with Sissy Spacek I had my difficulties. But seeing Evelyn being Carrie – the instant she stepped foot on stage, head bowed, arms crossed over her books in front of her chest – I felt a rush of sympathy for that poor young girl. There was even some slight comedic talent in that otherwise very serious and sad role, like when Tommy Ross asks Carrie out. Evelyn Hoskins manages to draw the audience even more into all that High School life thing than she already did with just…being there. Her eyes may not be as scary as Sissy Spaceks, but there is a hell of a lot more depth in them.

Sarah McNicholas (Sue Snell):
Sue definitely is a character who one can have a very dichotomous opinion about. On the one hand, she takes part in all the bullying of Carrie in the beginning, but very soon, you realize who hard she fights with her better judgement inside. Sarah McNicholas did that in a way that left me in complete awe. You take one look at her and you know she’s not like all the other teenage girls; she’s a sensitive, caring and loving young woman who just hasn’t found her place in life yet, who desperately wants to fit in where it’s right to. Her solo, “Once You See” , that she sings right after she tries to talk to Carrie and is harshly pushed away, is truly emotional, and the vocals Sarah shows the audience are nothing but beautiful, because there is no doubt that she puts all her heart in what she does on that stage. She’s torn inside and with her performance, she lets every last audience member feel that inner conflict, makes everybody suddenly feel sorry for her – at least that was what was going on inside of me. I wanted to rush onto the stage and hug her, tell her she doesn’t need someone like Chris Hargensen to find the right place in life. The most intense thing about Sarah and her display of Sue was without a doubt her last scene with Evelyn/Carrie. For minutes, she cradles her, crying and sobbing, while the music starts playing again and the rest of the Cast sings the last song. If nothing else, that is definitely the one thing drawing the viewer in, letting them feel as if all of this was real, as if the entire show was more than just that – show.

Greg Miller-Burns (Tommy Ross):
Star of the football team, most popular guy in High School, gorgeous, intelligent – practically the dream guy of any girl in school. And here’s the biggest difference for me: Greg made Tommy seem way more human than how he was in the book or the movie. Right from the beginning, when his classmates tease Carrie after school, he goes up to her and gives her a sort of pep talk (“Hey, don’t listen to those clowns. They’re just messing around.”) And without a doubt – you buy it. You buy it that Greg is absolutely serious about that, that he truly believes that all of the teasing and bullying is just the joke of immature High School pupils. He has dreams, is a talented poem writer and so atypical to how you’d imagine him, and, to be honest, how I remembered Tommy to be. Greg makes the audience feel like they could trust him with whatever is heavy on their heart; and whenever Evelyn and him are on stage together, you feel the tension coming from Evelyn – she wants to believe as much as the next person that not everybody is bad, that there is hope somewhere, and that Greg/Tommy provides this hope. The way he and Sarah/Sue play together is very warm and heartfelt, a more than convincing relationship. You almost think that at the end of the show, they’ll leave the stage together, hands intertwined. His short solo, “Dreamer In Disguise”, just gives a hint of what he can do with his voice, the vocals he is capable of. They say actions speak louder than words, and in that special case, his vocals in this song and the look in his eyes whenever he talks to Sue or Carrie scream of warmth and love for the ones close to him and the ones who can’t defend himself. In my opinion, the audience can’t help but absolutely adore him like the High School Boy he plays.

Gabriella Williamson (Chris Hargensen):
Talking abouz intensity – WOW. Maybe the (for me) most anticipated role beside Carrie. You read the book – you hate her. You watch the movie – she absolutely makes your blood boil. You watch the play – you want to skin her alive (in a good way, I promise). Gabriella is probably THE new big star the West End has brought upon. I don’t even know where to start. Her enunciation and intonation are – BY FAR – the best ones I have heard in a very long time, maybe ever. The mocking undercurrent whenever she faces her teacher, Miss Gardner, or talks badly about Carrie behind her back (or to her face, for that matter) is exactly how most people would imagine a a very spoiled little brat who is used to get everything she wants to talk. And the evil within, that the character Chris has never hidden – holy mother, it’s like Gabriella has sucked it up with mother’s milk to prepare herself for that role for her entire life. I have never seen someone on stage who has such comprehensive aura, who is able to draw someone in in an instant, with nothing but a roll of her eyes or a change in intonation, who has such an intensity in everything she says or does. The scene just before the girls are pushed to apologize to Carrie for their mockery in the shower the day before is the best perfect for that: Miss Gardner gives them an ultimatum, and when Chris realizes that her best friend, Sue, isn’t being drawn in by her anymore, she loses it (“Why are you taking her side?” – “Well well, aren’t you getting to be the Joan of Arc around here…oh, wait, remind me: who was that in there, pitching with the rest of us?” – “Oh  God, you’re sorry! Oh, Little Miss Perfect is sorry!” Only to break out into a short childish chant to try and seem superior) – probably one of the most intense moments this play had managed  to built up. And it takes a hell of a lot talent to display such a horrible character as Chris Hargensen in such a convincing way that you sit there and can’t help but admire her, want to be like her, despite her terrible nature. The casting director did an amazing job with chosing the Cast for all the roles, but that one – if I could, I’d give him an Oscar for that. Right along with Gabriella.

Jodie Jacobs (Miss Gardner):
Knowing Jodie from an earlier production, it was a very exciting thing to see her in something so asbolutely different from the 80’s Hippie she played in “Rock Of Ages”. And yes, she totally blew me away. As I already mentioned, I know the book, it’s one of my favourites. And just a few days back, I started reading it once again, and I realized how different Jodie’s Miss Gardner was from the one in the book (who had a different name, too). But it wasn’t a bad thing; in fact, it was the best thing that could’ve happened. The Miss Gardner in the book is pretty rough and harsh and not really someone you could feel any sympathy for. In fact, you want to shove her off the same cliffs that you’d shove Chris Hargensen down. But Jodie gave Miss Gardner warmth, heart and life. If you know Jodie, you know how much that role means to her, and there is not a doubt in the world that it’s the truth; she puts all her heart and emotions in every single scene, word and note. Her song with Evelyn Hoskins/Carrie, “Unsuspecting Hearts” – I have absolutely no words for that. She kills that song, her vocals are flawless, and together with Evelyn, you get the feeling they sing together for years instead for just a few weeks. And despite the overall horror theme of the play, it gives you an emotional heartbreak because Jodie’s display of Miss Gardner makes you feel like you’re Carrie, like you’re the one in desperate need of a friend, of love and appreciation. And she makes you feel sorry for her, because you want to help her help Carrie; you wish for her to be a real person, someone who really exists out there and who is there for all the weak and bullied and lonely people/teenager out there. If there ever has been a mother figure out there, it’s Miss Gardner in that play. And the fact that if you know the book, she’s not totally supposed to be that sort of very heartfelt woman makes it even more convincing and touching as it already is. So much that I can say: a gym teacher made me cry my heart out and I am very happy about that.

Dex Lee (Billy Nolan):
From the books, I had the impression and the imagination of Billy that he is crazy. Not just crazy, but absolutely insane. You just HAVE to be insane if you go and slaughter an innocent pig just because you want to pull a bad prank on one of your classmates, right? What Dex did was giving Billy a bit more human side; a teenager who’s just got too much testosterone, who has no clear view of his future and only cares about the next party. Dex also gave Billy a comedic side, like, when he topples over in his chair in a very serious moment. He doesn’t make the audience as scared as you might expect from knowing the movie, or especially the book, but despite his nature, there’s something about him that fits perfectly to Billy. And at the end, his jokes, puns and comedic timing even leaves a tiny spot open for you to actually sort of like him.

Kim Criswell (Margaret White):
The crazy, religious mother of Carrie, who raised her child far away from what most people would call “normal”. Kim Criswell is a goddess as Carrie’s mother. The evil within that she shows the moment Carrie opens up to her about her first period, the change from the kind, loving mother into the murderous God-worshipping lady – definitely one of the scariest changes and things such an intimate play can offer its audience. Her vocals are not from this world, and her songs – “Evening Prayers”, “And Eve Was Weak” and “I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance” are so similar and at the same time so absolutely different; Kim gives the audience every facet of her talent, no vocal sound like the next one, and she’s as convincing with her display of the role as anybody could ever be.

The rest of the Cast – Molly McGuire as Norma, Bobbie Little as Frieda, Emily McGougan as Helen, Eddie Myles as Freddy, Olly Dobson as Dale “Stokes”  & Patrick Sullivan as George – each and every single one of them were absolutely breathtaking. Considering that for most of them, “Carrie” is their first professional role in Musical Theatre or Theatre at all, it’s one of the most impressive things. I think Gary Lloyd and his team were very blessed when they found this bunch for their production; young, energetic and positive young people with their dreams all in front of them, and they get such an amazing chance to prove how mindblowingly talented every single one of them is. It fills my heart with warmth and love to still see and read all the raving reviews about the show and its Cast.

Hearing that most of the performances, and especially the last few ones, were completely sold out, just confirms what I, personally, thought and still think of the show: it’s one of the best pieces of Musical Theatre that the West End has brought upon in a long time, with songs that get stuck in your head instantly, and a story, set and Cast that just don’t let you go even weeks after you’ve seen it.

THAT’S what Musical Theatre and Plays are made for. For this kind of unforgettable experience.

THANK YOU, Carrie.