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A CurtainUp 
London Review
London ReviewThrill Me
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"There's nothing like a warm, romantic fire/
To put me in the proper frame of mind/ There's nothing like a roaring, raging fire/ To help me unwind" — Richard Loeb in "Nothing Like a Fire" |
Ben Woods as Richard Loeb and Jo Parsons as Nathan Leopold (Photo: Nick Rutter) |
So I come to this show about the two young men, who having exhausted the thrills of burglary and fire raising, turn to the murder of a child. It was Clarence Darrow who defended these two unpopular men, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, and spared them the death penalty. Their story formed the basis for Patrick Hamilton's 1929 stage play, and Hitchcock's later film, Rope.
Stephen Dolginoff has created a piece full of sexual tension as we examine Leopold's attraction to Loeb, the reason for his discarding his moral code. The play opens with Nathan Leopold's fifth application for parole in Chicago in 1958 and with flashbacks to the events of 1924 when they were 19 year olds. We are told that Richard Loeb was a follower of the German philosopher Nietzsche and that Loeb thought hubristically that he was so intelligent, a superman, that they would never be caught.
There is a piano playing for the songs but also through the spoken scenes, a really pretty accompaniment. The songs are accessible and the lyrics often witty. The music may be heavenly when terrible, evil actions are being discussed or described. I liked the way recorded voices are used to make the stage seem much more peopled that just the two actors. Even at Greenwich, a traditional proscenium arched theatre, and not a smaller studio space, the show filled the stage. There are lighting shifts to match the mood.
The performances are vivid: tall, thin, controlling Loeb with his boater and bow tie and taunting Nietzsche type arrogance. Nathan Leopold is more affable but also rather pathetic as, like a puppy, he pursues Loeb. Both actors sing well and you can hear every word of the lyrics. There is a good switch towards the end which I will not spoil for you.
Thrill Me fulfills two musical book elements I have come to appreciate; its tale of real life people and the darkness of its theme. I found myself thinking about Parade and even Assassins.
This show haunts and excites in equal measure and, under Guy Retallack's faultless direction, is one of the most accomplished I have seen as we examine what it is that made two rich kids risk everything by perpetrating an act of pure evil. Don't miss it!
For Elyse Sommer's review of this production in 2005 in New York and the complete song list go here.
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| Thrill Me
Book, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Dolginoff Directed by Guy Retallack Starring: Ben Woods and Jo Parsons Musical Director: Tom Turner Designer: James Turner Lighting: Richard Williamson Original sound: Anjali Kale Sound Design: Peter Russell Choreographer: Paul Harris Running time: One hour 20 minutes without an interval Box Office: 020 8858 7755 Showing at Greenwich to 18th April 2015 and then on tour to 6th June 2015 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 9th April 2015 performance at the Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES (Rail/ DLR: Greenwich/Cutty Sark) |
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