19.64°C LGBTQ+ History Month was well represented in Colchester last week, with The Killing of Sister George at the Headgate and this brand-new musical at the Mercury, both playing to packed houses.
Created by Olly Medlicott, Liberty Hall, presented by Louche Bouche at the Mercury Studio, is the story of the Manley family living in aristocratic style in the 1920s, negotiating moral codes and societal expectations. When Martha brings home her new beau, Reggie, it transpires that he has known her brother, Arthur, intimately during the First World War. Mrs Bottomley, the loyal housekeeper, also harbours a secret, and the arrival of Lady Catherine, aunt and actress, reveals the truth behind the members of this household. Unashamedly positive and influenced by the works of Oscar Wilde, this toe-tapping musical is a joy to watch, performed by a talented cast that belts the numbers out when necessary and brings glorious sensitivity to the ballads.
Jennifer Peters is perfect as posh but sensitive Martha, and Thomas Pleasant is elegance personified as Arthur, wearing his clothes and singing the numbers. Caroline Fritz is hilarious as the “Lady Bracknell”-type character Baroness Agatha, with an underused Helen McGraw divine as theatrical aunt Lady Catherine. Sara Jane Derrick brings her formidable comic skills to Bottomley, and the star of the show is Tom Chippindale as her son, Stanley, desperately in love with Martha. His song Just a Little is a beautiful meditation on yearning. George Deadman does well as Reggie, but his performance was slightly too over the top to convince me of his love for Arthur, and gentlemen really should have had sharper haircuts in those days. They are supported by an excellent ensemble of servants and maids. The Picnic Song is a hilarious highlight, as they act as a comic Greek chorus commenting on the posh and their actions! It’s Upstairs, Downstairs with the filter removed!
The musical is very well structured, with the right revelations at the right time, but it does take a while to get going – some judicial editing will tighten it up a little more – and Medlicott’s score is vibrant and enjoyable. Some technical issues with the radio mics rendered some of the (very) witty lyrics difficult to hear, and it felt restricted in the space of the Mercury Studio. But I totally appreciated the positivity of the story (LGBTQ+ people are a little tired of being victims), and the final song of revelations is an absolute joy. The main thing I hope for this musical is more life – there’s definitely an audience for it, and it now needs to break free and develop. It’s already an accomplished achievement; let’s see where it goes.
Reviewed by Paul. T. Davies
Photos by Brad Wendes | www.bradwendes.com
