Theatre: Dessa Rose Trafalgar Studios, London
Last night I trundled down to Charing Cross on the Bakerloo line and got wedged under someone’s armpit. But then someone complimented me on my dress, so I figured that evened everything out.
I was on my way to see the European premiere of Dessa Rose at Trafalgar Studios and I was really, really looking forward to it. It was penned by the same clever souls behind Ragtime – Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty – which I loved and saw at Regents Park Theatre a couple of years ago… so my hopes were high.
The musical is BIG however the space is intimate (weeny.) This could have proved problematic, but nope. All the musicians and actors crammed onto the teeny tiny stage, and before I knew it I was being met with a wall of sensational sound with the opening number ‘We Are Descended’. Steady, rich and fierce harmonies exploded out from the cast, who stood firm and seemed to be wild with passion and determination. I was hooked from the off.
Dessa Rose (also the name of the main character, played by Cynthia Erivo – holy moly that girl can sing) is set in 1846 and is a story about slavery, friendship and the fight for freedom. I laughed, I cried ( you will too when Erivo sings ‘Twelve Children’) and I was mostly in awe of the cast and their voices.
The singing in this production is utterly outstanding and is worth seeing for this fact alone… but as the story and production is also pretty top notch, you’d be a fool to let this one pass you by.
There’s only a couple more days left to catch it so do your best to get a ticket as quick as you can…
Trafalgar Studios
14 Whitehall
SW1A 2DY
Dessa Rose runs until 30th August
