Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tickets and more information: https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/amour
Booking until: 20th July 2019
Production Photos by: Scott Rylander.
Run time: 2hrs 15mins
Trigger warnings: flashing lights.

Set in 1950s Paris, Amour follows a shy civil servant called Dusoleil who passes his time writing letters to his mum while daydreaming about his neighbour Isabelle who is locked away by her controlling husband. He miraculously gains the ability to walk through walls and begins to put his powers to good use in order to gain the confidence to woo Isabelle. Although reading about the show’s commercial failure on Broadway (despite being nominated for 5 Tony Awards in 2002) made me weary, I actually pleasantly enjoyed this little gem of a musical.

The cast is led by Gary Tushaw as Dusoleil who leads with enough charm and heart that makes you want to root for him. Alongside him is Anna O’Byrne as Isabelle who conveys Isabelle’s struggle beautifully and has a stunning voice. It’s a small company with around 12 in the cast overall but they all do a wonderful job. I have to say Claire Machin is a standout and steals every scene shes in with her comedic timing.

The score by the late Michel Legrand and translated lyrics by Jeremy Sams are a dream pairing. The score is beautiful and luscious yet often playful and cheeky at times. Even though at times the score is incredibly wordy, it sort of feels overpopulated. That said, it’s easy to let that slide when you’ve got director Hannah Chissick’s staging to bring the words to life. In the technical departments, the lighting design by Rob Halliday is spectacular and adds a fantastical element to the show.

Overall, I pleasantly enjoyed this musical. Amour is a sweet, romantic and positively delightful musical. One not to miss.

Until next time,