Review – The Sound of Music – Leicester Curve

The hills may be alive with the sound of music, but if you’re looking for the classic that we know and love, unfortunately, this revival may not be for you. 

In case you’ve been in hiding for the past almost 70 years, The Sound of Music tells the story of a wannabe nun, Maria, who takes a job as a governess for a rather large family and ultimately falls in love with the head of the family, the father, Captain Von Trapp. All that set to the backdrop of the rising threat of the Nazi regime. 

Molly Lynch brings a goofy and high energy Maria to the stage, with beautiful vocals and excellent comedy throughout. She is accompanied by Joanna Riding as The Mother Abbess whose powerful rendition of Climb Every Mountain is a wonderful surprise. Keanna Bloomfield, Megan Ellis, and Leonie Spilsbury complete the leading nuns as Sister Margaretta, Sister Sophia, and Sister Berthe respectively. This trio are the perfect balance of funny, charming, and serious and their rendition of ‘Maria’ is a particular highlight. 

Opposite the leading ladies are David Seadon-Young as Captain von Trapp, and Minal Patel as his friend Max Detweiler. While the pair bring unique approaches to their characters, it doesn’t quite land. For example, where Max should be warm, calm, and comically pragmatic, instead he is intense and somewhat angry throughout. Captain Von Trapp’s disciplined and stern personality is missing, painting him as almost manic in some scenes. 

Despite this disconnect, however, the show has many great elements. The mountains remaining in the background throughout the show serve as a reminder of Maria’s journey, while the additional set pieces allow you to be totally immersed in whichever part of the story is happening in front of you. Some slight changes in musical arrangements have been made to allow for some more character and comedy shine through, which works well. The choreography is effective and innovative, and the use of real-life footage of the rise of the Nazi regime emphasises the gravity of the story. 

Henry Godber and Corey Lister were excellent as the charming young Von Trapp men, Friedrich and Kurt. Gracie Nkala, Jagoda Drozdz, Dalia Al Nagar, and Phoebe Dalton bring life to the Von Trapp young ladies; Louisa, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl. These young artists are full of promise with fantastic performances throughout. 

Aviva Tulley brings exceptional vocals and a mature, maternal approach to Liesl. However, the approach to ’16 Going On 17’ is wildly misjudged, turning the innocent, naive number into an inappropriate, somewhat vulgar display. While both Liesl and Rolf are played by consenting adults, they are representing children and their actions in this scene are anything but child friendly. From a shocking bum smack early on to a partial undressing, and a compromising position with Liesl on the handlebars of Rolf’s bike, it felt completely out of place and left me feeling rather uncomfortable for the rest of the show.  

To add to that, the power dynamic for Rolf throughout feels out of place and impacts the story. His towering over Captain Von Trapp moves him from a somewhat awkward young man to a threatening presence, and his attitude towards Liesl is more vicious, controlling partner than a protective, childhood crush. This disconnect sadly also means that what should be a powerful, redeeming moment at the end of the show is rendered meaningless. 

While The Sound of Music as an entity tends to hold its own regardless of the production, this revival feels misplaced and not at all representative of the subject matter. Curve are no stranger to innovative and unique productions, but sadly this one is slightly off the mark. 

***  Three Stars