Oklahoma! @ Wyndham’s Theatre, London: or Arthur Darvill Sings!
Can you take a classic musical and modernise it, even freshen it up? Yes you can, although this goes Lorca Blood Wedding at the end, rather than a rousing chorus of the tunes we all want to here.
Sort of set in the 1950s, but more just period Demin, there is less a sense of community in this version for most of the time, and more of individuals. Very stripped down, the cast loaf around on chairs for much of the time, one narrowly avoiding ‘scalding’ by steaming pot roast on the table — apart from when they’re up and about, thigh slapping, boot stomping and singing/hollering, or flirting, not to mention rolling around on the tables. Not only should the cowman and the farmer be friends, but men and women too! (and very close friends at that). Apart from a Plains backdrop, the only ornament is guns, lots of guns, on the walls. But you can enjoy seeing Arthur Darvill’s Stetson atop a mic stand pre-performance!
There are many fewer ensemble pieces, and more individuals breaking into song — no swing captains here. Great thought has been taken too about the style of the music — less typical rumbunctious musical ensemble style and more a mixture of Country and Western, Bluegrass, even early Elvis. Daniel Kluger has really made it all sound new, and yet with a greater sense of place — it’s stunning. The band are level with the audience and part of the action at points as cast members sit down and dangle their legs near them — even borrowing a mic at points.
All the same, this is the musical in which Arthur Darvill sings! (or Rory, if you still in ‘Who’ mode) as Curly McLain and it is indeed a beautiful mornin’ as he plays guitar too, and happily wanders about serenading. Laurey (Anoushka Lucas) is much less impressed than her younger-fied Aunt Eller (Liza Sadovy); perhaps too with her life of cooking, loafing and dancing, and being letched at by silent and sinister farmhand Jud Fry (Patrick Vaill). Has it all become too much. Although she is enchanted by Ado Annie’s (Georgina Onuora) personal philosophy, Laurey longs for things she can’t even name, feeling that she has to choose between two men to go to the next community event with — and the Surrey With A Fringe On Top becomes part of that dream (and broken dreams when it turns out not to be true). Will she chose Jud or Curley? ‘Many A New Day’ says everything really.
With heaps of energy, Will Parker (James Patrick Davis) gets everyone up and ‘two-steppin’ as he sings about all the things he saw in Kansas City. He’s also got broken dreams — he can only be with Ado Annie if he has $50; however, he’s spent that money on presents for her, and so no longer has $50. The poor Pedlar Man, Ali Hakim (Stavros Demetraki) does have $50 and so he soon gets Ado Annie as his wanted, and yet unwanted, wife. Ado Annie’s Dad is on one hand hilarious (everything is solved at the barrel of a shot gun) and yet also worrying for the same reason — plus he’s essentially selling his daughter for $50 to the highest bidder! The comedy is provided in heaps as Will and the Pedlar bargain to get Annie passed between their hands.
Jud Fry is made a more misunderstood outsider, with some seriously creepy habits, and as he and Curly sing at each other in darkness by torch beam (and very close up camera work); there seems to be some mutual admiration going on. Also, we the audience have to worry about Curly at this stage as he encourages Jud to commit suicide and stop being so bothersome to everyone. Less obviously creepy and more a watcher and stalker, Jud also has plans for Curly — which won’t end well.
The Dream ballet is less dream-like and more nightmare — cowboy boots rain down from the ceiling, thumping onto the stage periodically. The dancer almost collides with Laurey, turning her nightmare into reality as they’re in the dance -and what a lot of dancing there is, when they aren’t trying to shoot each other. Laurey has also been videoed by Jud — as she sings — does she want to run away or move towards him? Next the picnic hampers are bid for and it almost feels that the women are being sold along with their goods — the price egged on by Aunt Eller for the school house. Very late to the party, Curly finally gets involved in a bidding war with Jud — selling his saddle, gun and more to get a higher price and the girl and hamper. But is he a romantic hero riding into the sunset to save the day or just out to thwart Jud ‘just because’?
Having comically sung ‘People Will Say We’re in Love’ which involved Laurey lobbing Curly’s hat into the wings, after he asked her not to — they beautifully and sweetly duet as a reprise. Laurey has made her choice having rejected Jud after he mauled her. The tension between Curly and Laurey is palpable. Which can be contrasted with Will’s struggles with Maths, Ali Hakim’s desperate and humourous attempts to make a sale to lose his unwanted wife, and Will’s rule of no more fun once he and Ado Annie are married — which doesn’t go down well in ‘All Er Nuthin’.
There’s a wedding party and we think we’re in for a happy ending, all seems to be going well — only Jud turns up and presents Curly with a wedding present to turn the event bloody — a gun. He then invites Curly to kill him — which Curly does, covering himself and his new wife in gore. Having happily strummed Oklahoma and Oh What A Beautiful Mornin’, these are now used to unify a fragmented community and to bully their lawman into breaking the law as the community turn courtroom, judge and jury and decide that Curly is innocent and should be let go. Laurey ends head in hands wondering what on earth she’s let herself in for as everyone else is in denial; it has stopped being so fun.
Rather than a celebration of pioneer culture, this ending suggests that aspects of American culture and society were built on rottenness, in injustice and misuse of power. Even the chirpiest of numbers are somewhat doom-laden here — although comedy and beauty will out, and it’s great to see Ali Hakim breaking free of stereotyping, and almost out of the town — although he still ends up with a wife with a *interesting* laugh.
Feeling very like Girl From The North Country in look and tone, Oklahoma is an intriguing take on a classic — lots of energy, and comedy; but also edgier moments as we are plunged into darkness at points, or one colour lighting and confronted with extreme close up camera work. The dancing could have been stronger at points — Laurey does look like she’s about to break into a Joe Wicks workout, and the cowman/farmer dance off doesn’t quite get going, heading more towards groping. Although maybe this is the point — we’re not going to get a nice square dance hoe-down here, cos we’re not in Kansas, any more, baby.
If you want belter ensemble numbers and a cheery ending, this musical version is going to be a shock to the system. However it does have power and energy in its own right — making Ado Annie an actual person rather than one note; redeeming Ali Hakim and using him in himself for comedy (rather than exaggerating stereotypes); giving the Dream ballet dancer a fantastic t-shirt dress, as well as upping the moral battle at the end as the community decide what to do, quite literally taking the law into their own hands. It is hard to accept Curly’s actions at the end — I don’t quite see his motivation when he had effectively eliminated his rival socially through marriage to Laurey — although clearly Jud (and Curly) are out to get each other throughout. (We do see Curly’s struggle of what to do during this moment). Equally impossible to imagine is how he and Laurey could possibly have any kind of life together afterwards — only their community would force them to stay together…What a nightmare, much like Laurey’s dream sequence. Beware audience too as Ado Annie or even Curley may be coming for you — the set design does allow this!
