Review: The Fabulist (Charing Cross Theatre)

Review by Raphael Kohn

⭐️⭐️

The title of ‘London’s newest musical’ is surprisingly held by something written in 1779. Partially, at least. The Fabulist, marketed as a ‘playful new musical with an operatic edge’ is much better described as ‘a classical opera with a new script’, given its music is taken directly from Giovanni Paisiello’s short opera Gli astrologi immaginari. But there is some new material here, padding out the opera into something resembling a musical. Or maybe it’s an operetta. Or maybe both at the same time.

It retains the original opera's ridiculous, farcical plot, albeit updated into a new setting. While the original is mainly a vocal showcase for its performers, writer James Farwell’s intentions to give the plot some more detail manifest in a relocation to a 1929 movie studio. Against a backdrop of Mussolini’s fascism, the art of film is now in the hands of a tightly-controlling church, keeping a close eye on culture and opposing heresy in whatever way they deem fit.

Along comes a magician, Agrofontido, whose tricks delight Clarice, a screenwriter. As she falls in love with him even despite the Church’s opposition to magic, she must hide her love. And then come a load of mistaken identity comedy moments, and a frankly ridiculous ending. If you like Gilbert and Sullivan, you’ll love this.

It’s all quite similar to G&S, to be honest. Paisiello’s music may be written a century before but it has the same light touch of comic opera, never taking itself too seriously. But perhaps this is where the cracks begin to show – a true comedy opera must walk the tightrope of not taking itself too seriously while also managing to justify itself with enjoyable comedy and a sprinkling of musical excellence along the way. Alas, The Fabulist wobbles significantly on that metaphorical tightrope.

With its condensed orchestra from a full chamber orchestra to a quintet (of three strings, one keyboard and one woodwind doubler on clarinet and flute), it begins to sound a bit cold and empty. The music, which could have soared with beauty in a thicker orchestration, feels desolate and thin. Admittedly, there’s little one can do when reducing an orchestra down to that size, but it doesn’t help at all.

It gets no benefit at all from David Shields’ set, which is visually uninteresting and reveals few tricks. Essentially looking like some cardboard flats with a set of stairs and some silly-looking cotton wool clouds, there’s little to admire there. Apart from the glorious statue of the solar system which hangs from the ceiling, by far the most visually interesting thing in the show and yet completely unused at all. The emptiness of the set combined with the emptiness of the music unfortunately begins to let the show down.

But the main drawback is unfortunately Farwell’s script, which for a 2024 piece feels strangely dated, and fails to hit the comedy notes at all. Throughout much of the show, the dialogue is strangely stilted and dry, and leaves the performers with nothing to do but recite their way through the script. It’s not helped by John Walton’s slightly humourless direction, which never manages to find the comedy in the story.

When the humour does eventually appear, it’s a joy. Just before the end of the first act, Stuart Pendred’s Cardinal Bandini appears. Combining both effeminate campness and a wicked enjoyment in murdering and torturing heretics, Pendred proves where The Fabulist actually gets it right. He appears and suddently the show becomes slick, funny, and the pace picks up. But as soon as he leaves the stage (his part is probably the smallest in the show), it all disintegrates again.

The rest of the cast are a fine bunch, with Dan Smith’s Agrofontido getting the most to do. He combines a charming tenor voice with some genuinely brilliant magical ability (he’s a member of the Magic Circle, a fact which comes as no surprise), using his entire introductory aria to amaze and astound the audience with a variety of tricks. His love interest comes in the form of Réka Jónás’ Clarice, whose precise soprano is a joyous pairing.

In fact, both of the sopranos of the show get to demonstrate the joy in the music the most. When Jónás is paired with her on-stage sister, the fabulously sassy Lily De La Haye as Cassandra, they make musical magic between them. It’s moments like their duets which bring out the very best in this operetta. There’s absolutely wonderful vocals to be experienced at The Fabulist, the problem is that they simply need better material to be performing in the first place.

It's as if The Fabulist is close to knowing what it wants to do without knowing how to do it. Taking the opera and making a somewhat modernised musical comedy (or rather comic operetta) is a fine choice. Bringing in some magic tricks (there’s a brilliant levitation trick in the second act that epitomises what this show could have been doing throughout) is beautiful. Throwing in a camply murderous cardinal for a laugh actually works quite well. But the devil’s in the detail, and if only the ideas work but the execution of the ideas does not, then the potential for this to be rather excellent falters.

But if you love comic operettas and fancy a good night out to see some lovely singers perform, then go for the singing and the magic. For me, I couldn’t look past the script’s drawbacks and confusing humourlessness, but if this spells the beginning of more operettas to be seen on stages traditionally reserved for musical theatre, then I am absolutely no opponent to that happening.

The Fabulist plays at the Charing Cross Theatre until 21st September 2024. Tickets from https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/the-fabulist

Photos by Mark Senior