Copacabana – Watermill Theatre, Bagnor

Music: Barry Manilow

Lyrics: Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman

Book: Barry Manilow, Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman

Director: Craig Revel Horwood

Reviewer: Jim Nicholson

The Public Reviews Rating:

It always worries me when a show is born out of a single popular song and I remember back in 1994 sitting in the Prince of Wales Theatre longing to be put out of my misery. But never fear Craig Revel Horwood and the Watermill can surely turn a ‘pigs ear’ into a ‘silk purse’, after all the pairing has a track record second to none!

Well unfortunately not in this case, they have at least come up with a ‘fun offering’ that has a number of plusses but the quality of the score and the book really does prevent them scoring their usual ‘summer winner’.

Manilow’s song first resulted in a 1985 ‘made for TV’ film, then an hour long 1990 Atlantic City stage show, before finally hitting the West End in a full blown format in 1994 with Gary Wilmot playing the male lead. For me though back then there were just not enough memorable numbers on offer and despite the main strength being the choreography, thanks in no small part to Revel Horwood, the weaknesses in the book meant that it was down to the sheer strength of the British Manilow Fan Club that a, more than reasonable, 25 month run was achieved.

Of course at the Watermill we still have the big title number and in truth the night does not really hit the heights until the full cast take it on at the finale. Before this we get to know how the words are put together to form the dream of the hero Stephen (aka Tony).

Sarah Travis has worked hard turning this into an actor musician piece but there are times when it is still all rather raw, none more so than in the ‘This Can’t be Real’ dream scene when the wind instruments fail to compliment the percussion.

That said the instruments certainly do not detract from the story with much of the work done on the sides allowing our showgirls, Cassie Pearson and Sally Peerless, to spend plenty of time centre stage.

Diego Pitarch does the night club justice with a revolving stair case/piano and an array of curtains at different depths on the set that, despite size, allow the story to unfold in three different areas of the stage.

There are significant contributions from the two leads with Edward Baker-Duly a dashing Tony and he may not like me saying this but he has a Darren Day look about him. Laura Pit-Pulford as Lola gives another fine vocal performance, just as she did with the same theatre’s offering of Sunset Boulevard two years ago, and I loved her second half emotion but found the first act frivolity slightly over the top with a few to many ‘eeks’ and ‘ahhs’.

Basienka Blake as Conchita was very convincing but Anthony Reed was just not scary enough for me as the thug Rico.

Where Revel Horwood has really added to the original is in the comedy element and that is mainly down to, Watermill old hand, Karen Mann who as normal is centre of attention whenever on stage and Gladys certainly allows her to become the audience ‘darling’ once again, whilst her love interest Sam, played by Julian Littman, is a very able ‘scared’ stooge to her.

The least favourite of all Revel Horwood offerings at the Watermill for me, but lets not forget the unbelievable standards he has set. The audience were certainly far more enthusiastic than I was and I really hope I am proved wrong because the Watermill and, especially, Revel Horwood productions there are normally amongst my top nights out of any year.