What is a miracle? What is madness? What is normal? These are just some of the questions you’ll be thinking as you tap your foot to Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’ 1964 musical. But this is a musical like no others – this is as surreal as it is subversive, an off-the wall political satire that’s hugely unconventional, but all the more clever for its presentation as a song and dance show with huge layers of meaning.
‘Anyone Can Whistle’ is the story of a corrupt Mayoress, Cora Hoover Hooper (Alex Young), who along with her crack team of adulating men (a greedy but brilliant businessman, the town treasurer and the chief of police) devise a plan to make their bankrupt town money. The plan is simple: fake a miracle, this will then result in people paying pilgrimage to see the said miracle and bring prosperity to their impoverished town.
The miracle attracts the attention of nurse Fay Apple (Chrystine Symone) who brings her beloved inmates from a local asylum. The patients are known as ‘cookies’, the asylum is the ‘cookie jar’. Then enter a doctor, who may not be a doctor, and a miracle, that may not be a miracle, a power-hungry Mayoress who is several notes short of a score, an odd love story, a big song about trumpets and you have the plot. It is insane and wildly funny.
The songs are big and loud and the talent on display is worthy of the West End. Fay Apple is mesmerising in her performances, especially the title track ‘Anyone Can Whistle’, but the Mayoress, Cora, is undoubtedly the star of the show. The casting of Alex Young in the role is sheer brilliance. She totally owns it. She is a comic genius and had me rolling in the aisles.
My favourite line of the show: ‘Die slowly or have the strength to go mad,’ will be a reminder to me when I feel I am losing the plot, that I am in fact, growing stronger. One can take comfort in such thoughts. But that’s the thing, there’s so much existentialism in this absurd show, but the deepness is wacky rather than shoved in your face. Even if I didn’t fully understand the show at times, I loved its intelligent, offbeat high-octane craziness. This is golden-age musical theatre with a mad twist, and you really don’t want to miss it.
Running until 7th May 2022, https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show-homepage/anyone-can-whistle/
Reviewer: Samantha Collett
Reviewed: 5th April 2022
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★