Closer To Heaven

On hearing of a musical featuring original songs from the Pet Shop Boys, I was quite intrigued to go and see Jonathan Harvey’s ‘Closer to Heaven’. However it is now clear why this show, which first premiered back in 2001, has not been a success. Despite known names including Frances Ruffelle and Courtney Bowman, this is a musical let down by one major factor – the book itself.

First up, the sheer number of different storylines going on is very confusing and unnecessary, including the story of Shell (Courtney Bowman) and her now gay, drug addict dad Vic (Kurt Kansley) who are reunited; Billie Trix (Frances Ruffelle), a fading star from the 60’s/70s who spends most of her time high, and the love triangle between Shell (Bowman), ‘Straight Dave’ (Glenn Adamson) and ‘Mile End Lee’ (Connor Carson). It is the story of ‘Straight Dave’, who is not so straight after all, and ‘Mile End Lee’ which becomes the chosen story in Act 2 but, as with the rest, by this point there is too little time to develop it and you end up with a series of unsurprising events and cliches.

There are, however, elements which give the audience a glimpse of what this show could be. In the second act we finally get to really hear the powerful voices of Ruffelle and Bowman, and it is something quite magical. In addition, Carson, as ‘Mile End Lee’, shows us that his character is more than just the local drug dealer and we see the sadness behind his bravado through his solo numbers. Finally, credit must go to the 3 ‘Babes’, Beth Curnock (in her professional debut), Jaime Tait & Cian Hughes who gave it their all in every dance with some very risqué costumes and moves!

It is no surprise the strongest moments in the production are the songs, all of which are originals penned by Pet Shop Boys. That isn’t to say there aren’t some cringeworthy numbers, and you probably won’t remember most once you leave, but there are also some corkers, including my personal favourite ‘Vampire’ sung by Vic (Kansley).

This new production, at the Turbine Theatre, has, thanks to David Shields, been set out with a choice of viewing options including cabaret style tables right up close to the action. You do get a hedonistic feeling of being at ‘Vic’s Club’ complete with neon lights, smoke machines and a constant thudding baseline. My main criticism was that, on arrival at the theatre, those at the cabaret tables were given a card which, when turned the right way, said we were happy for the actors to interact with us. Apart from a couple of brief moments where the actors spoke a line to an individual or came down and danced nearby, this was completely missing. It made the cards pointless and was yet another opportunity missed in this production.

And maybe, that is ‘Closer to Heaven’ in a nutshell – moments of missed opportunities. With a more well developed book, the songs and the cast would stand more of a chance to create something great from start to finish, rather than something which hits the mark every so often. Personally, I would stick to listening to the cast recording, but if a camp musical with original songs from the Pet Shop Boys sounds like your thing then hopefully you’ll enjoy the night.

This show was reviewed on the 5th June 2024 at The Turbine Theatre where the show runs until the 30th June 2024.  Tickets available here: Closer to Heaven | The Turbine Theatre

*** stars

Kat Fuller

Join Kat every Tuesday from 9am for ‘The Best of Stage and Screen’ here on Box Office Radio

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Photo credit: Mark Senior