Moulin Rouge - Piccadilly Theatre - Review

Come what may. You never know what could happen on any given day. You don't know exactly where life and fate are going to take you. And you never know how a simple misunderstanding could change everything.

Now well into its fourth year on the West End, Moulin Rouge continues to greatly impress and delight as it swings open the doors to the iconic Parisian club and throws us headfirst into the romance, the chaos, the secrecy and the showbiz lifestyle of stars, dukes, businessman and bohemians. We are introduced to Christian (Alistair Brammer), a young American song writer who, on his very first night in Paris, is whisked away to the Moulin Rouge by Toulouse-Lautrec (Richard Lloyd King) and Santiago (Ivan De Freitas) who instantly take a liking to him and his skill, inviting him to write the music for a show that they are working on. But they need investment, a star for their show and believe that the key is Satine (Karis Anderson), the star of the Rouge. But the club itself is struggling and is also in need of investment with Harold Zidler (Craig Ryder), the ringmaster of the Moulin Rouge Circus, pinning his hopes on Satine winning the heart of the powerful wealthy Duke (Ben Richards) so that he will pay the debts. Mistaking Christian for the Duke, Satine finds herself discovering the sort of love she has never experienced before, leading them down a risky path of secrecy and blurred lines between fiction and reality.

From the moment you walk into the Piccadilly Theatre, you are on the path to escapism. It truly is an immersive experience, the auditorium draped in red curtains and dripping in sparkles, the famous red windmill on one side, the elephant on the other. This is a show designed to draw you in and completely surround you, and its wonderful.

Alistair Brammer impresses as Christian, determined and, at times, a little too passionate. Christian is a man who throws himself into things at 100 miles an hour, 110%, and is perhaps unaware of digging too deep. He loves with all his heart and sees the world as if it revolves around the glamourous and mysterious Satine. Brammer's powerful vocals receive multiple rounds of adoring applause throughout, particularly with his rendition's of 'Your Song' and 'Roxanne'. Karis Anderson takes on Satine's title of The Sparkling Diamond and runs with it, oozing stage presence and glamour as Zidler's leading lady. Anderson expertly balances the diamond performer with the wishes of a young woman who just wants to be loved.

The Duke, played by Ben Richards, is money driven and business minded, all about image and fame. He is the villain of the piece and Richards' revels in being the baddie. It wouldn't be a surprise if many audience members were to believe that the character's of jukebox musicals can be underdeveloped and simplistic, but Moulin Rouge may just buck that trend. From Christian's ups and downs of love and passion to the backstory struggles of Richard Lloyd King's Toulouse-Lautrec, with his protective nature over Satine, we see character's who are three dimensional and believable, at times showing us emotions pushed to the extreme.

Within the many wonderful performances, it is Craig Ryder's Harold Zidler who proves to be a scene stealer. With bright eyes full of excitement and a fizz of energy that has a sense of childlike glee, he delights in being this ringmaster of sorts, the leader of the mismatched family he has brought together. Ryder shines throughout, commanding the stage and earning many a laugh, whilst also being able to showcase Zidler's softer side with an apparent ease.

Now, this is a jukebox musical that is absolutely crammed full of musical numbers, so many in fact that I probably wouldn't be able to count them. Many laughs of realisation and joy happen as the audience rejoice at both their favourite songs being included and the cleverness of how they manage to squeeze them all in. Whilst standout numbers include 'The Elephant Love Medley', 'Bad Romance' and 'The Pitch Song', some songs are rattled through so quickly and pieced together in so many medleys, that you may at times find yourself wishing that we could hear more songs in full rather than a bit and a bob here and there.

Overall, Moulin Rouge is a spectacle from start to end, drawing you in and throwing you headfirst into the action from the moment the high energy and at times, overwhelming, opening number hits to the very last finale medley. It's go, go, go and can, can, can, sending audience members out into the night with a smile and a song.