Gone With The Wind, The New London Theatre
Darius Danesh receiving a standing ovation in a Covent Garden theatre? Not even Simon Cowell could possibly have dreamt that one up. But he got one last night, and it was a big one. More importantly, he deserved it.
Taking up the vaunted mantle of Rhett Butler was never going to be easy, but Darius has taken up the challenge with gusto. He’s bigger than you think and he needs his massive shoulders to fill the uniform of one of the world’s most famous characters.
This new, musical, production of Gone With The Wnd has arrived with bucket loads of publicity and on last nights evidence delivers on it’s promises. The large cast are almost constantly on stage and there are some great new songs to help the plot along. From spotlight solos to full cast numbers, there is plenty for the audience to get their teeth into.
One of the great tricks of this show is that you forget the parts of the story that you have heard so many times and become involved with the plot in a different way. You almost seem to attach yourself to a particular favourite character and follow their trials and tribulations throughout. It’s defiantly better not to read up on the plot before you go as there are genuinely unexpected moments spotted throughout.
Despite the great performance of Natasha Yvette Williams as Mammy, Scarlet’s constant companion, the night really does belong to Darius. His singing voice seems to have come on leaps and bounds from his tv trials and attacks on the charts. The deep range of his voice perfectly suits his role as the roughish southern gentlemen, while he has also mastered that most difficult of tasks – singing in character. His Glaswegian roots were completely put aside for the night and he delivered his lines with an unexpectedly good sense of comic timing.
The crowds were of course, waiting in great expectation for the most famous lines of this much famed love story. Darius didn’t disappoint on this either, cheers echoed around the theatre as he left Scarlet in no doubt of how much of a damn he gave. In fact, neither Scarlett or Rhett disappointed in this respect, with the audience audibly pleased with their delivery.
The setting of this latest show at the New London Theatre was a masterstroke .The audience is so close to the stage that fewer effects are needed, helping you feel closer to the lonely southern plantation. It’s also close to shops, restaurants and plenty of public transport.
While the show is long at just over 3 hours, there are plenty of places to eat afterwards close to the main entrance. I didn’t even need an extra seat cushion as the action grabs your attention both before and after the well placed interval.
Sean Collins
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