Review – Franz and Marie – Charing Cross Theatre, London

Franz and Marie is based on the legendary play, Woyzeck by George Buchner, which itself is based on a true story from 19th Century Germany. We meet Franz (Brenock O’Connor), our anti hero, half starved and half driven to madness by the experiments of his platoon Doctor, a man who studies, yet has no real interest in, human nature.

His beautiful fragile Marie (Jade Oswald) waits at home with their baby Georgie. That night at the fair, forces beyond either of their control, tear their tender love apart.

The entire cast are superb and, as our ill fated couple, O’Connor and Oswald excel with both their soaring voices and grounded and vulnerable performances.

Matthew Heywood as the strutting Drum Major Varg gives a brash performance that begs the audience to hate him. He may be at the core of what sets the play on its run to destruction but it’s the Doctor and The General who are the true villains of the piece and I felt the humour of their characters reduced their culpability of setting a man off on a course to kill. Eve Polycarpou as Vashti gives the whole show a perfect gravitas.

The show is not perfect. Melodically it cannot be bettered, but sometimes the choice of tempo and pace grate against the tone of a scene. But it’s a small quibble in a night of delights and darkness.

While yes the piece is bleak and seemingly predetermined to break our lovers apart, the heart and soul of the show are the whole 14 strong cast who play and sing every note and lyric. When the company perform together it is at its most thrilling and compelling.

This show is a solid four stars and if it had some tweaks and cuts I think it could transfer to a bigger house and gain a fifth star.

****    Four Stars