Road Show
Upstairs at the Gatehouse

ANOTHER immaculate musical drama Upstairs at the Gatehouse for the annual holiday musical. Road Show, completed in 2008 is a collaboration of Stephen Sondheim’s music and lyrics and John Weidman’s book.  

A cast of eight hoof, sing and act through this tale of “anyone can get rich’’ America, if you just have the balls, if you sell, and lie and cheat. It’s called creative ambition, not filthy lucre or profiteering.   

Reece Richardson and Oliver Sidney play the Wisner brothers, Wilson and Addison respectively with terrific style. Spurred on by their dying father (Robert Finlayson) telling them to get rich – show ambition, take to The Road.

The story is that of the real-life Mizner brothers, both as metaphor and embodiment of America. Starting in 1933 Florida, the show flashbacks to the brothers prospecting for gold in a freezing Yukon – at one point so cold they have to share a sleeping bag – a rare moment of (literally) human warmth between them.  

They go their separate ways of course; Wilson as gambler, seducer and fight promoter while Addison takes care of their mother. Mama Mizner (Katherine Strohmaier in great voice) misses Wilson terribly as he never comes to visit. “Isn’t he shameless, isn’t he something,” she sings in hurt pride of her high achieving son.   

Later Addison travels the world and settles in Florida where, helped by his gay partner and lover Hollis, he becomes a famous architect designing palatial properties for the Florida rich. Hollis – a wonderful Rhys Lambert – wants to establish an artists’ colony and represents this genuinely creative strand of America.

Their duet The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened carries real human love in a world where it often takes second place to financial acquisition.

This is vintage Sondheim; sardonic, witty and highly entertaining without being didactic. It’s not a peon against capitalism – exactly. But then again it is. Good art carries such contradiction.

There’s a great set of a lego-style Stars and Stripes, the musicians nicely adjacent – and a row of scaffolding atop – serving as an elevated stage for song and dance.   

Amanda Noar’s choreography, Harry Style’s musical direction, and Noar and Isaac Bernier-Doyle’s direction give us quite something. Actor/singers Emily Friberg, Folarin Akinmade and Madeleine Morgan are integral to this great ensemble piece.  

Catch it while you can, knowing that not long after the end of The Road Donald Trump will be in post.

Runs until January 12. Box Office at 020 8340 3488.