I go in to see Fanny, a transfer from the Watermill Theatre, knowing two things. One, it is about Fanny Mendelssohn, the elder sister of Felix, the composer. Two, it is a comedy.
With just six cast members led by Mischief Theatre alumnus Charlie Russell (who takes the lead role), Fanny starts in a fairly serious vein, as she conducts an orchestra.
Her family, brothers Felix and Paul, sister Rebeckah, and ambitious mother Frau Mendelssohn, are planning for a big day, as Fanny’s friend Wilhelm Hensel (Riad Richie) is coming to call.
It becomes clear that Fanny is as accomplished a musician as her brother, and that Paul, for all his enthusiasm trying to share his ‘Theme’, is not.
By the second half, we are almost in panto territory, with a bit of audience participation (and Russell’s expert reaction to an on-stage mishap) and a lively bit of farce.
Jeremy Lloyd (Paul) and Danielle Phillips (Rebeckah) are gifted comedy players, with Abbott also capturing a couple of other characters with humorous gusto.
In presenting the story of Fanny Mendelssohn in this way, we learn about the suppression of women who seek careers, freedom, or recognition.
It has only been since the 1980s, 130 years after Fanny’s death, that scholars took real interest in her work. Songs were inevitably misattributed to her brother, as was her Easter Sonata.
Calum Finlay’s well-researched play suggests a different path for a feisty and determined Fanny, with a faithful Hensel at her side, not as man and wife but equals.
Felix Mendelssohn (Daniel Abbott) is presented as somewhat petulant, entitled, and oblivious to his sister’s talent. Seeing her just as an lesser adjunct of himself, he is dismissive and thoughtless.
Their mother Lea (Kim Ismay) is an interesting character in real life, herself a musician who turned her home into a musical salon for soirées. Here, in Finlay’s story, she is deeply traditional and focused on Fanny marrying well.
Directed by Katie-Ann McDonough and designed by Sophia Pardon, Fanny has had a couple of cast changes since the Watermill but retains a sense of fun and sparkle.
The script may be a little too fond of puns and earthy wordplay, but if you are in the mood for a laugh, Fanny will not disappoint. Music purists may wish to pair it with Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn, a documentary currently available on Sky Arts.
Fanny Mendelssohn’s career is bookended by her inspirational focus on music in Fanny, and by the end she is re-robed in her blue dress from the opening scene, assisted by the rest of the cast.
Pardon’s sets offer scope for Fanny to break out of her ‘cage’ of expectations in Berlin, while David Howe‘s lighting suggests location and tonal changes. Russell is a marvellous Fanny, clearly interested in her as woman and artist.
I’m giving this 3.5 stars. I didn’t expect a full-blown farce, but enjoyed it and came away with the desire to know more.
Fanny continues at King’s Head Theatre until 15 Nov with tickets here.
Image credit: Pamela Raith