Aspects of Love
The Palace Theatre
Touring nationally until March 2008
7/10
DESPITE A slow start and a somewhat strange storyline, the reinvention of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Aspects of Love’ proved to be an enjoyable night of theatre.
Being a bit of a musical nut, I had actually already seen the show in its original format many years ago. This time the staring role was played by ‘heart throb’ David Essex, resulting in the majority of the audience being mums and grannies!
Personally, the promise of David Essex had not exactly made my heart flutter, and not being familiar with any of his previous work, I wasn’t sure what to expect of him. However, I was impressed with his portrayal of George Dillingham, an ageing painter and lothario. As the main draw for the production and the eldest character in the show, Essex was successful in presiding over the performance, which was supported by an equally strong cast.
The other two main characters, Alex Dillingham and Rose Vibert, were played by Matt Rawle and Shona Lindsay respectively. As George’s nephew, Rawle not only provided some eye candy for the under-fifties, but was believable in a role which involved playing a character from teenage years to middle age. Shona Lindsay has an impressive vocal range and was suitably realistic as a woman facing the dilemma of being in love with two men at the same time.
The remainder of the cast provided a solid background to the central storyline. Poppy Tierney, playing the part of Giulietta, deserves a special mention. Her depiction of a fiery Italian temptress more than rang true. However, her superfluous pseudo-lesbian subplot added nothing to either the character or the story. This was one of many cheap and unnecessary attempts by Lloyd Webber to sex up a show that was originally quite tame and only known for its signature song, Love Changes Everything.
Ultimately, ‘Aspects of Love’ is not Lloyd Webber’s finest work, but is still a perfectly good musical, which explores the destructive power of love alongside a pleasant though unadventurous score.
Zoë Slater
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