When it was announced that Olivier and BAFTA award winning star Sheridan Smith would be taking on
the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl at the Menier Chocolate factory, it
seemed that pretty much every theatre fan in the UK set their sights on
securing tickets for the limited run. As a result, when booking opened on the 17th
of August 2015, Funny Girl became the fastest ever show to sell out at the Menier
Chocolate factory, with the very last tickets having been snapped up by 10:30
in the morning of the same day! You can therefore imagine my exhilaration when I managed to book
myself a premium seat for one of the show’s last previews… and then my utter dismay
when, after 3 months of waiting eagerly for the day to come, thanks to a series
of train delays I was unable to make it!
Thankfully, during the preview period
a few more seats at the far ends on some rows were made available, and my
friend quickly snapped a pair up for us...
For anyone unfamiliar with Funny Girl, the plot follows
real life stage star Fanny Brice’s transformation from anomalous wannabe chorus
girl to full-blown stage sensation, and tells the story of her doomed relationship with notorious
gambler Nick Arnstein. It’s a tale which spans dozens of years and countless
locations, from the streets of Brooklyn to the bright lights of Broadway, and
because of this, I was sceptical about how the show would play in a small space
like the Menier. However, while watching the show I found that the relatively
small stage allowed the audience to get up close and personal with the story
and its protagonist Fanny, played by the dazzling Sheridan Smith. This is part
of the reason why, although I’m ecstatic that Funny Girl will be transferring
to the Savoy Theatre in April 2016, I’m glad I saw it at the Menier first. It
was truly sensational to be sat just meters away from Smith as she brought
Fanny Brice to life before us, and really allowed for all of the actors to give
more nuanced, delicate performances.
Sheridan Smith charmed the audience with ease from the
moment she stepped on stage. Her performance as Fanny Brice was both engaging
and hugely affecting. Prior to seeing Smith in the role, it was hard to imagine
anyone matching the showstopping performance of Barbra Streisand, who
originated the role both in the film and onstage, and while Streisand is
definitely more of a divaesque powerhouse performer, Smith's voice is much more
similar to the real Fanny Brice's both when singing and talking, and I personally
saw a lot Baby Snooks (one of the characters which Fanny Brice famously portrayed)
in Smith's portrayal of Brice, which was very exciting.
Of course, the moment everyone was waiting for was 'Don’t
Rain On My Parade' which ended act 1 and was met with unanimous rapturous
applause, however, 'People Who Need People' was an absolutely heartbreaking
number too, while the audience laughed through the entirety of 'You Are Woman (I
Am Man)' thanks to Sheridan Smith’s faultless comic timing and physical comedy
prowess. Smith truly gave a masterful musical theatre performance and made it
impossible to pinpoint on standout moment.
While Smith undoubtedly gave the standout performance, there
was not a weak link in the whole company. The charming and silky voiced Darius
Campbell cut a dashing figure as Nick Arnstein, Joel Montague was endearing as Fanny’s
friend Eddie, and Marilyn Cutts was fantastically droll as Fanny’s Mother. With
such an outstanding level of talent it’s no wonder that the Menier’s Christmas musicals
are celebrated year after year.
All in all, I am thrilled that I got the chance to see Funny
Girl at the Menier Chocolate Factory this Christmas, and while its run at the
Menier Chocolate Factory is completely sold out, I’d definitely recommend checking
the website if you are interested in seeing it before it transfers, as
occasionally some seats do get returned and become available online. Failing
that, tickets are already on sale for the West End transfer, so go and book yours
as soon as possible because this show is not one to be missed!
