May 22, 20245 min read

Review: Passing Strange (Young Vic)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Tony award-winning musical travels to Europe for the first time as Passing Strange embarks on a premiere season in London at the Young Vic. Having won plaudits for its original Broadway run, would it be able to repeat that success and find its place on the other side of the pond?

Having been in development since 2004, Passing Strange opened on Broadway in 2008 with a filmed version of the run by Spike Lee premiering the following year. It tells the story of a young musician who leaves his home in LA in a journey to find who he is as an artist and his place in the world. Travelling to Europe, the action takes place in Amsterdam and Berlin in a story that ponders the significance of basing your entire adult life on a decision made as a stoned teenager.

As the title might suggest, Passing Strange is not the most conventional of shows in an increasingly diverse and dynamic story that always keeps you on your toes, guessing where it will go next. Stew’s writing remains consistent in its quality as it finds a way to accurately reflect the confusing and, at times, terrifying nature of youth. As our protagonist, referred to only as Youth, struggles to find his place and his own style, Passing Strange mirrors this journey taking in many different styles. In other hands, this could seem busy, jarring and inaccessible. The fact this is never an issue in this production is a testament, both to Stew’s writing and Liesl Tommy’s inspired direction.

When I refer to diverse styles, Passing Strange boasts soul, funk, rock, punk, performance art and tap to name but a few. Not styles that all mesh together seamlessly, but in this show, it works – and it works remarkably well. The eclectic nature is reflected in the music by Stew Stewart and Heidi Rodewald that, while diverse, manages to retain a certain high quality, despite its distinctly differing styles. Blisteringly loud at times but in a way that works incredibly well, Passing Strange manages to bring the house down and take the audience to church on several occasions. This is most evident in a particularly rousing number towards the end of the first act, getting the audience on their feet, completely in the moment and connecting with the material in a way most shows could only dream of. Not a response you see often mid-show in a theatre, and one that highlights just how well this refreshingly unusual show managed to tell its story.

Stew and original director Annie Dorsen’s collaborative nature crams together an abundance of ideas and allows them to explode in a captivatingly chaotic way, with Liesl Tommy taking the reigns as director for this production, making full use of Ben Stones’ fantastic set design, transforming the Young Vic stage into a rock concert with characters and scenes transitioning at rapid speed. The direction isn’t solely limited to the stage either with the fourth wall truly demolished at times, reflecting Stew’s often meta and self-referencing story, as the cast move around the audience, at times climbing over seats. Stunning choreography from Brandon Michael Nase brings visual excitement to the songs with exhilarating and exhausting choices. Though there were technical problems on the night, Will Duke’s video design added a great element to the story while never being overbearing, while Richard Howell’s lighting and Tom Gibbons’ sound create a pulsing, electrifying atmosphere that blurs the lines between theatre and rock concert.

Keenan Munn-Francis leads the cast as Youth in a wonderfully intricate character that allows Keenan’s acting and character to grow in line with the story. Brilliantly conveying the confusion of not knowing your identity or purpose in this world, Keenan proves himself to be a sensational performer and a triple-threat with incredible singing, acting and dancing throughout. Always captivating to watch, he gives a star performance, fully knowing his own place in the story even if his character doesn’t. Though her appearances are sporadic, Rachel Adedeji (a name anyone who watched The X Factor will be able to hear) delights as Mother whenever she has an opportunity to shine,

Olivier Award-winner Giles Terera once again proves what a force of nature he is as a performer in a charismatic turn as Narrator. From the moment he saunters on to the stage with a wink to the audience, he has us all in the palm of his hands as he expertly makes sense of what could easily have been a disjointed narrative. Not being afraid to take a back seat for large chunks of the story so Youth’s story can breathe, he is never out of sight or out of mind in a performance that remains big and memorable, even for the moments he isn’t centre stage. As for his vocals, they are every bit as sensational as you have come to expect from an actor as talented and accomplished as Terera.

The remaining four actors take on ensemble roles, playing a variety of characters. Renee Lamb wows in her roles, whether she is screaming in Youth’s band or playing a love interest, the one consistency in her diverse characters is the consistency of her performance. Nadia Violet Johnson is equally thrilling in her roles, especially standing out as Youth’s Amsterdam love interest Marianna, getting a musical highlight in ‘My Keys’. David Albury gets the most eclectic mix of characters, effortlessly going from the soulful Rev Jones to the terrifyingly brilliant Hugo. While every cast member more than proves themselves as a formidable performer, there was something especially exciting about Caleb Roberts’ performances on stage, especially in his early scenes as Mr Franklin. Between the four of them (and the entire cast, to be fair) the vocals are among the best you are likely to see on any London stage this year. Special mention has to go to the three piece band who find themselves part of the cast more than anyone might expect.

Passing Strange is a big beast of a musical and unashamedly so. As Youth goes on a journey to find his own identity, this musical does the same thing, defying any attempts to pigeon-hole or categorise it in a refreshingly unique show. It certainly is unconventional throughout and is increasingly quirky – this may prove divisive to some people who may not quite get it or long for something a bit more generic. However, I found the whole thing refreshing, particularly the feeling of never knowing what was going to happen next or what style I would find myself watching. Not every sequence may have landed with me as effortlessly as others, but its unafraid nature of trying different things was thrilling throughout. Ultimately, it is in this show’s ability to connect which makes it something special. No matter how much you can relate to the situations or styles of the story, the storytelling nature and performances themselves manage to penetrate and resonate in a way that surpassed all expectations I had. While Youth may struggle to find his place in the world, Passing Strange has definitely found its place. I just hope we get to see more of this fantastic show in the future and it’s not just a passing phase.