Bonnie and Clyde tells the remarkable (and astonishingly true) story of two American criminals that everybody loved to hate – Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Champion Barrow. The infamous lovers romped their way around the USA along with their motley gang, raiding banks, looting funeral homes and murdering those who tried to get in their way – mainly policemen. They were finally stopped in their tracks on 23rd May1934, when they were ambushed and shot dead by police in their car in Louisiana. Theirs was a circus spectacle of a death that could perhaps best be described as ‘fitting’ given the crazy way they had chosen to live their lives. They had both been public enemy number one for years, and their capture and demise was celebrated and mourned in equal measure. Just thirty years later, a highly successful movie was made which charted their rise to infamy. It starred Hollywood big hitters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway and was beloved by audiences – the story re-captured the imagination of the public and reverently positioned these two besotted miscreants into folkloric legend where they remain to this very day.
The stage adaptation with music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Don Black premiered in San Diego in 2009 and found its way onto Broadway in 2011. It took a long time reaching our shores, first appearing at the Arts Theatre in the West End in 2022. This is its first UK tour.
The book by Ivan Menchell neatly charts the story of the star-crossed anti-heroes from their first fateful meeting to their eventual untimely demise. It is a cleverly spun yarn, in the sense that we as an audience find ourselves falling under the spell of the charismatic couple in spite of the terrible crimes that they are clearly committing before our very eyes. Perhaps it helps that we see from the outset that the story does not end well for them – we see the events that unfold through the lens of the ending. It colours our view of them even from the beginning.
Bonnie Parker is played by Katie Tonkinson with brooding perfection. Tonkinson successfully manages the technical transition between the Bonnie that we first meet – a Bonnie who is a sweet, innocent and charming wannabe Hollywood starlet – to the Bonnie who becomes accomplice to Clyde and eventually criminally manipulative in her own right. Tonkinson has excellent range and she makes us mourn for the woman that could have been while at the same time revelling in the fun that she is clearly having once intoxicated by Clyde. Her performance of ‘Too Late To Turn Back’ is charged with emotion and her rendition of ‘Dyin’ Aint So Bad’ has the audience totally enraptured.
Alex James-Hatton (as Clyde Barrow) has all the assets necessary to be completely believable as the roguish and cheeky crook who will lead our Bonnie astray. James-Hatton reveals Clyde to be a baddie from the off. However, he also has a vulnerability and a boyish humour which makes him loveable too. His very charming performance of ‘Bonnie’ is gentle and swoon worthy whilst his cry to ‘Raise a Little Hell’ has such power that it raises the roof! Here is a performer who really knows how to get the best out of every musical piece. The chemistry between James-Hatton and Tonkinson is absolutely superb – they are completely believable as Bonnie and Clyde and the way that they interact with each other lets us know how they got in so deep above their heads.
Blanche Barrow, (Daisy Wood-Davis) is the wife of Clyde’s brother Buck. I really love the comedy that Wood-Davis finds in the script – she has several moments which cause the audience to laugh out loud. Her performance of ‘You’re Going Back To Jail’ is sensational. Buck (Sam Ferriday) bounces off James-Hatton and Wood-Davis with energetically quick delivery of dialogue and a gawky demeanour. I love his interpretation of this character.
The wider ensemble cast is large, and there are magnificent vocal performances all round. A personal favourite moment is a Gospel number which really entertains courtesy of a jaunty performance by Jaz Ellington as the preacher. The seven-piece band, under the direction of Issie Osborne are sensational. The choreography and direction by Nick Winston is breath -taking. An area that has become especially important in productions such as this is video design, and I have to say that Nina Dunn has worked wonders here, helping to position us in the right time and place at every moment. There is something wonderfully cinematic about the piece. Kudos also to Tom Marshall for an excellent soundscape which when coupled with the imagery makes for a sumptuous experience.
All in all, this is a very entertaining show. A stylishly staged tale, the successful telling of which rests heavily on the performances of the actors playing the eponymous duo. They just so happen to be devilishly good. Add in some toe tapping tunes and a few thrills along the way and you have got a most enjoyable evening out at the theatre.
Bonnie and Clyde are raising hell at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham until Saturday 18th May – try and catch them if you dare!
