After seeing the young company at their celebratory gala early in the year, I was very keen to see one of their full productions and snapped up an invite to When We Strike at the Southwark Playhouse’s Elephant site.
Taking a social justice topic (the match girls strike of 1888) and blending it with punk rock, and a bit of music hall, this new British musical boasts a talented cast of over twenty performers, all female or non-binary.
Inevitably, some will stand out more than others, but as an ensemble, these youngsters are flawless, and the leading parts (the sisters, the ‘leader’, the journalist, the foreman, the duchess, the paperboy) are handled with class and confidence.
The set design (by Ruth Bedila) has not been skimped on, with headlines and slogans printed on the floor. A tongue in cheek opening makes fun of the ‘poor little match girl’ stereotype before introducing the East End workers who have bags of attitude.
With songs ranging from the traditional ballad to a proper banging rock beat, Amir Shoenfeld’s score for When We Strike is funny, clever, and varied. The punk rock element chimes well with rebellion and resistance.
The story is strongly told, from the physical abuse of working girls as young as 10 and the casual disregard for health and safety protocols or a fair payment structure. It proves an excellent topic for a musical.
The general mood throughout this production was one of professionalism and enjoyment. I noticed one microphone issue, but it was dealt with very quickly, and lyrics (by Shoenfeld and Caitlyn Burt) were generally audible and clear.
The Elephant auditorium isn’t the most forgiving for audiences, and with no raised stage and the inevitable pillar in sightlines, some may miss a bit of the action, although a raised platform helps with this and Georgie Rankcom’s energetic direction remembers there are viewers on both sides.
I also need to mention the small band (musical director, Jessica Dives) who rose to the challenge and raised the tempo. Quite rightly, all concerned received a standing ovation. Jane McMurtrie’s choreography gives everyone a chance to shine.
Ruth Harvey’s lighting gave a sense of both the corrosive properties of phosoperous and the red tinge of fire, with fluorescent bulbs and match-thin torches. Crowd scenes were imitated by actors popping up in the aisles.
Does this show have a future? I believe it does. I felt an influence from SIX to Camelot and Oliver! while feeling new and fresh. In celebrating working women and organised power against capitalism and profiteering, the Bryant and May fight still feels strangely contemporary.
BYMT’s Young Company are Elodie Anns, Scarlet Davies, Frida Douek, Beatrice Ferguson, Jasmine Fung, Louisa Garner, Madison Goodwin, Charlotte Gray, Caitlin Hope, Poppy Houghton, Ellie Hunter, Michelle Jjumba, Eva Johnson, Angelou Karpusheff, Lucy Keenan, Lucy Kate Martin, Hana McDowell, Sophie McQuaid, Blaize Middleton, Kara Mitchell, Kitty Molloy, Lillie Morris-Sanders, Isabella Parker, Priya Piracha-Postill, Jamie Plews, Eleanor Scholes, Eleanor Sullivan, Lilly Mae Tearne, Maisie Thomson, Emma Thornton, Emma Willson, and Natasha Woodham!
When We Strike continues at Southwark Playhouse Elephant tomorrow, the 31 Aug. For more on British Youth Music Theatre, visit their website and read my recent interview with chief executive Emily Gray.
*****
Image credit: Greta Zabulyte
I saw this today. High energy from start to finish. What a talented bunch! West End stars in the making!