Play On
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
26th September 2024

As part of their 2024 Black Joy season, the Talawa Theatre Company are bringing the Broadway musical ‘Play On’ to UK stages. The show reimagines Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ set in the 1940s New York jazz scene, and features a score comprised of the music of legendary jazz musician Duke Ellington. This is the first the UK has seen of the show, and although its Broadway stint was brief (running for just two months back in 1997), it made enough of an impression to secure three Tony nominations, and the Talawa Theatre Company are hoping their production makes a similar impact here with this UK tour, which kicks off this week at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry.

For those of us whose knowledge of Shakespeare doesn’t run much deeper than a couple of lines from ‘Romeo & Juliet’, have no fear, as ‘Play On’ requires nothing more than an ear for jazz and a taste for light comedy. Viola (Tsemaye Bob-Egbe), nicknamed ‘Vy’, is an aspiring songwriter who travels to Harlem hoping to make it big. When she’s told by her hipster uncle Jester (Llewellyn Jamal) that only men can be songwriters and there’s no place for women in that world, the former Viola becomes ‘Vy-Man’, donning a man’s sharp suit and shoes and seeking out the career guidance of the Duke (Earl Gregory), Harlem’s greatest band leader. ‘Vy’ impresses The Duke with various compositions, and is sent by The Duke to his former beloved Lady Liv (Kori Hedgemon), a famous Cotton Club jazz diva, in an attempt to win her back with one of Vy’s songs. Lady Liv, of course, falls for the cross-dressed Vy, while at the same time unaware of the romantic intentions of the overly-serious Rev (Cameron Bernard Jones), who manages the club in which she performs. In typical Shakespearean comedy style, farce develops around the various mistaken identities and love triangles, riding on an undercurrent of smooth jazz.

It’s always great to see a new musical (to our shores at least) and the Talawa Theatre Company clearly have a passion for this one. Directed by Michael Buffong, it’s a classy, assured production which captures that “hot smoky sultriness” of the jazz era, bolstered by strong performances and the rich depth of Duke Ellington’s body of work, and for jazz fans it’s certainly a feast for the ears. However it’s probably fair to say that jazz isn’t always the most accessible style of music, and that is differs substantially to the more mainstream style of musical theatre scoring, so some audiences may find it requires a little more work to tap into. The musical also crams a lot of songs in (23), which for non-jazz-aficionados does feel a bit of a slog, however brilliantly the songs are performed (which they are). The score is delivered wonderfully by the live band (under the musical supervision of Liam Godwin), and the selection of Ellington songs works well, a mix of well-known standards and rarities. A talented ensemble of phenomenal dancers deliver some stunning choreography (Kenrick Sandy), although there are scenes where their inclusion actually detracts from what’s going on rather than enhancing. They are better served when they are the full focus, as they really do deliver some wonderful movement.

Despite the heft of its source material, the story (by Cheryl L West) feels too slight and lacking enough narrative interest to fill two and half hours, with its characters repeatedly playing out the “mistaken identity” tropes until everything comes together nicely in the end. The characters feel more like chess pieces to move the plot rather than fully-fleshed-out people, and arguably some of the peripheral characters are more engaging than those more centrally-placed, but it’s all delivered well by a strong cast who do a collectively great job, from Tsemaye Bob-Egbe’s comedically awkward first steps as a man, to Kori Hedgemon’s “Dreamgirls”-esque diva Lady Liv, and Cameron Bernard Jones’ excellent range from serious to slick and back again as club manager Rev. Special mention should also go to Lifford Shillingford and Tanya Edwards as Sweets and Miss Mary respectively, who really make smaller parts their own and own the stage every time they appear.

The combination of jazz and Shakespeare might not immediately appeal, but ‘Play On’ is a fun comedy with some great performances and a real celebration of the music of Duke Ellington. Light on story but big on personality, it’s always great to see production companies taking a chance on lesser-known shows, and we hope this one finds an audience and does well on the road. As the Bard himself (sort of) said, “if musical theatre be the food of love, Play On”.

‘Play On’ runs at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre until Saturday 5th October 2024 before embarking on a UK tour through to February 2025.

Performance runtime 2 hours 30 minutes including interval.