AD: Ticket in exchange for an honest review.
In recent years we have seen a rise in the number of song cycles hitting off-west end venues aiming to analyse the complexity of the human experience, typically tied together with generational themes. These pieces of work allow composers and lyricists to explore topics through music without the need for a narrative or book to accompany them. Often, these are very difficult to get right due to the lack of identity guiding the premise of the show. Personally, I have yet to find a song cycle that sticks in my mind with the same level of impact as Songs for a New World stuck with me the first time I sat down to listen to the cast recording.
Currently running at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, the award-winning Highgate-based theatre known for its showcasing of new work alongside cult classics, Songs for a New World is their latest production of the latter category. Last seen on stage at the London Palladium in 2020 as the capital slowly began to move out of lockdown, the Palladium performance felt like an appropriately timed moment to revisit this piece of work. Almost four years later we see this work revived once again but – does this new production continue bring new worlds to this much-loved show?
A cult classic of a show that is rarely performed in full, Songs for a New World has instead provided many a cabaret and concert performer with material to showcase their vocal prowess, so the opportunity to see a full production was one I did not want to miss. The original production, which ran Off-Broadway at the WPA Theatre, is often credited as the beginning of the career of musical theatre legend Jason Robert Brown, known for his shows Parade, Bridges Over Maddison County and Overstudies’ personal favourite The Last Five Years. The show blends the notion of musical theatre and song cycles to create something entirely unique, lacking a full narrative arc but instead theatrically tying songs together by themes of fear, love, grief, and hope. The segments of this show are very clear and defined, so while each song presents a new short story, we can see how these flow effortlessly into one another, tied together by the notion of ‘decision’.
The short stories presented to us vary wildly from the hyper specific to broad and relatable analysis of emotions. Early in the show we witness the experience of a captain on a ship sailing himself and his crew into the unknown; a wealthy housewife threatening suicide to get her husband’s attention; and a flag maker’s grief as her husband and son are away fighting at war. This is intertwined with widely applicable stories of how the fears of others can hold us back and the fact that the choices we make in a single moment can change the course of our whole lives.
Those familiar with Songs for a New World know that this is a bold show about the intimacy of the human experience. This particularly stood out for me in the set which leant more towards set dressing rather than set design, but created a homely and warm environment for theatrical moments as if they were our own memories speaking directly to us. Lighting the stage overhead are a series of lamps adorned with lampshade covers ranging from shabby chic to mid-century modern and contemporary styles. Mismatched furniture pieces including a vintage globe bar cart and worn rug all frame the protagonist of the piece – the piano – which delivers melodies as complex as the emotions of the unnamed characters within the piece. The audience is seemingly transported into the living room of an old friend, inviting us to spend an hour and forty-five minutes sharing secrets and telling tales against the backdrop of some of the most beautiful musical melodies ever written.
This is complimented by the costuming choices, dressing each of the cast in beige and brown tones allowing them to flow in and out of the spotlight with relative ease, using simple props like Santa hats or letters to assist with the narrative of the short story being told. The simplicity of the set design alongside the minimalistic costuming allows the audience to concentrate on the focal point of the piece, the stories being told and the gravitational pull of the music back towards the piano leading the six-piece band.
What I believe sets this piece apart from other song cycles is that it feels more like several pieces of musical theatre tied together with one common thread, rather than a collection of music video moments performed on a stage. This is testament to the directorial choices which focus on subtlety over dramatics, knowing exactly when to lean into classical musical theatre tropes of spotlights during angry laments of scorned women and knowing when to scale back and allow simple performance to do the talking. It feels like there is a real understanding of this piece not only from the creative team, but the performers and their ability to act through song, and this goes a long way in delivering a uniquely raw and intimate experience for the audience.
The charisma shared by the performers can only be described as a lifeforce, with four powerful voices complementing instead of working against each other. The cast is made up of Christopher Cameron, Eleanore Frances, Lizzy Parker and Luke Walsh who each get their moment to shine (often quite literally in a spotlight) but demonstrate their patience when they are not leading a song. Often, we praise performers for their ability to dominate the stage, but a lot must be said for individuals’ ability to work as a team and know when to step back.
While every member of the quartet of performers delivered something distinctive to the show, one of the standout moments for me was Lizzy Parker’s delivery of the song ‘I’m Not Afraid of Anything’ which quite literally took my breath away. What starts out as a simple song about fear impacting the people in the woman’s life that she cares about quickly turns into a spiral of self-doubt and insecurity about her own relationship, performed in what can only be described as a masterclass in emotive vocal performance. Lizzy is a superstar in the making, and I’m very excited to see what her career brings next.
Unfortunately, the one thing that did let this piece down was tied to the scale of the sound in such a small space. There were moments where the band overpowered the performers, or where harmonies were lost somewhere in the sound mixing. Even as someone who knows each of these songs better than most, there were times where lyrics were missed – when the music is being positioned as the central focus of the show this is incredibly unfortunate.
While this review is less about the work itself, and more about the directional choices of the production, it cannot be denied that this is one of the strongest song cycle concepts that I have ever listened to or seen performed on stage. What works so well about this piece is that it still feels as fresh and as relevant today as I imagine that it did in 1995, and this is thanks to the timeless positioning of the piece by the creative team at Quite Good Theatre. This is an intimate analysis of the human existence, of the anxieties that drive us forward and the prospect of hope for a better world than the one we leave behind.
Songs for a New World runs until 3 March at Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com/
