A Review of The Fabulist a new musical - now on at Charing Cross Theatre

Man dressed as an Italian magician showing a woman a trick — Clarice is transfixed by Julian's magic. Photo credit Mark Senior

The Fabulist 'Agrofontido' (played amiably by Dan Smith), takes exception to being called a magician, and is quick to correct anyone who does so as a fabulist is a top magician, not any old magician. Lying in the heart of this new musical, is the tension between science/rationality and magic/religious belief. Can these be reconciled by the end of the musical? Will love conquer all? These are the questions asked of the characters and the plot.

The Fabulist musical is set in Mussolini's Italy in 1929, where the Catholic church is all powerful and it has decided that magic is satanic and all magicians should be eliminated after being 'corrected'. Thus 'Agrofontido', real name Julian, puts himself and his sick-kick Pupuppini (played comically by Constantine Andronikou) in danger just by looking like a magician, let alone by actually practising magic.

Dan Smith is a member of the Magic Circle, so I would have loved there to have been more magic in the show, what there was, was good - especially the flaming book of spells - but I wanted more!

On the run, Julian and Pupuppini stumble across a female-led film studio. Sisters Clarice (played by Réka Jónás) and Cassandra (played by Lily De La Haye) are respectively the Screenwriter and Director. I rather liked these roles; these are strong, intelligent and well-educated women succeeding in a male-dominated world. Some of the best parts of the musical are delivered by this pair. They both have amazing voices which work well together, and they capture both sibling love and sibling spatting perfectly. There was a real chemistry between them, despite Cassandra following science and Clarice following her heart.

Man in a cardinal's clothing standing with arms in the air — Stuart Pendred steals the show anytime he is on stage. Photo credit Mark Senior

Clarice falls for Julian almost instantly, whilst there is a slow-burn between Cassandra and Pupuppini. Thrown into the mix is Petronius (played by James Paterson), the girls scientific father, and their uncle Cardinal Bandini (played with great comedic value by Stuart Pendred). The side character of the Cardinal steals the show at any point he is on stage. He reminded me of how the Mark Heaps character in Friday Night Dinner manages to do exactly the same any time he calls to the house.

Once the Cardinal has a whiff of a magician, the four young people play cat and mouse with him to avoid persecution. It all gets quite silly, but of course love eventually finds a way.

The small orchestra conducted by Samuel Woolfe are impressive.

This is a light-hearted yomp in the vein of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. If you enjoy those, you will love The Fabulist.

The Fabulist, with book and lyrics by James Farwell, is based on Paisiello’s opera The Imaginary Astrologer, Catherine the Great’s favourite, written specially for her.

Cast:

Dan Smith is Julian the Fabulist

James Paterson is Count Petronius

Stuart Pendred is Cardinal Bandini

Constantine Andronikou is Puppupini

Réka Jónás is Clarice

Lily De La Haye is Cassandraa

Jack Holton (Alternate Julian)

Marienella Phillips (Alternate: Cassandra and Clarice).

Creative team includes:

Director John Walton

Musical Director & Orchestrator Bobby Goulder