Wednesday, 17 May 2023

Aspects of Love

 

Aspects of Love

 

It has been too long since I last posted on my blog.  

It's is lovely to finally be back, and I start with a  revival of a classic.  I never saw the original Aspects of Love, so it was interesting to go and see this as a totally new show, albeit with some iconic numbers that have become well established over the years.

The theatre was full with a wide spectrum of ages watching this story of love and desire that spans a lifetime. 

Struggling actress Rose (Laura Pitt-Pulford) falls for Alex (Jamie Bogyo) a young man about to go into the army.  He persuades her to go with him to a villa in the French countryside before she begins her new tour.  Their time alone is cut short with the arrival of Alex’s charming Uncle George (Michael Ball) who sweeps her off her feet, having left his lover Giulietta (Danielle De Niese) to return to his home in the countryside. 

Set over a 17 year period after the war, the lives of the three are interwoven.  Rose marries George and has a daughter Jenny (Anna Unwin).  As she grows up, she falls in love with Alex, but he has paired up with Giulietta.  A sweeping tale, this is a story of love and betrayal, passion and heartache.

The staging of the show is unusual. A screen, the full height of the stage, crosses it between set changes with different scenes from the countryside and city.  I wasn’t a fan as it felt unnatural, and at times you could hear things moving behind.

Laura Pitt-Pulford is compelling as Rose, and works well with a charismatic and charming Michael Ball playing George.  Whilst Jamie Bogyo isn’t vocally as strong as his counterparts he brings a charm and an angst to Alex in his struggles. 

There is an old world vibe to the show.  Aspects of love is clearly an Andrew Lloyd Webber production, but it does have a dated feel.  If you want a faster pace, more fluidity or varying styles of music this is not your show;  however, for any fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber, watching Michael Ball sing ‘Love Changes Everything’ and ‘The First Man You Remember’ is enough on its own to make it worth the visit.

Aspects of Love is playing a limited run at the Lyric Theatre until 11th November 2023.

For tickets visit: https://www.londonboxoffice.co.uk/aspects-of-love-tickets

 

 

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