NOTE: THIS REVIEW ASSUMES FAMILIARITY WITH THE CHARACTERS OF SILENCE OF THE LAMBS which I knew even though I’d never seen it before ’cause I don’t like scary movies.
It’s not every night that you’re having dinner, casually admiring the hot guy two tables over, then find less than two hours later that you’re now able to say, “Wow! I got to see his junk!” But this was a special night, the night I went to see Silence: the Musical (as in the musical version of Silence of the Lambs), and the sexy, lanky redhead I was admiring was none other than “Buffalo Bill” in the show (Connor Brown in real life), and he had a very special number to sing with a title on the lines of “Would You Fuck Me Now.” And he performed it, ultimately, with his Beardsley print dressing gown (covet!) very much off and his lanky, tattooed, pierced body on. Phoar. Oh, and with his junk tucked between his legs, because, you know, looking like a woman is Bill’s shtick, not that the sharp eye wouldn’t have caught an eyeful (and apparently yummy Mr. Brown’s had more pierced than just his nipples).
And, really, wasn’t it such a rude show? Agent Starling (Charlie Cable) is groped regularly, makes fat jokes, and is mocked mercilessly for her lisp; Hannibal “the cannibal” sings “If I Could Smell Her Cunt.” There is nothing polite about this show in any way, right down to the poodle puppet (about which the less said the better). But really, if you’re not planning on seeing this show and having a good laugh then you’ve picked the wrong play to see – though I doubt anyone who would be attracted to it would be expecting a serious commentary rather than a stick in your eye parody.
I’m actually finding it hard to talk about how very well Silence worked in this tiny space. The show was inventive and fun, from the tap-dancing corpses to the face full of silly string to the use of a cut-out plastic mask for Lecter’s escape scene; but all that wouldn’t have added to a hill of beans if the cast hadn’t been so talented. Agent Starling had the looks and the moxie; while Bill was all sex and shamelessness. But the real star was Tom Murphy as Dr. Lecter himself, because with pipes like that he was a real treat to hear singing. I was reminded of the poor showing at Annie Get Your Gun (and for that matter Carousel). Murphy proved that, despite my fears, there are still apparently actors in London who can sing, though they’re being replaced on the West End with people who need microphones to amplify their tinny voices. And I can promise, you could hear the T that ended every single c**t that came out of his mouth. Mary Martin would have been proud.
I was also pleased that I’d somehow wound up at a musical where the words once again mattered, illuminating plot and character. Unfortunately (and this is my one complaint, though it was a problem far, far too much), in many scenes, especially where the actor had his back to the pillar that demarcated the two sections of audience (the stage was square and we each had a view from one side or the other) you could not hear what was being said, which was a shame as it was often funny and always interesting. It was also a problem for a few of the group scenes and the fault clearly lies on the electric piano, which just needs to be turned down a tad. I realize whoever set the sound levels probably has all of the lyrics memorized, but I don’t, and I would have liked to have heard them.
Overall, this was a brilliant night out (especially at £12 a head and with a two hour running time) and I recommend it heartily as likely the most fun musical on in town right now and CERTAINLY better than anything I’ve seen since Pirates at the Union Theater.
(This review is for a performance that took place on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. It continues through October 31st. For more information see www.imperialproductions.org. I promise I’ll add in actors’ names once I can find them – any help appreciated as I didn’t get a program.)
Tags: Baron’s Court Theatre, Hannibal the Cannibal, It's always better when you hear actual voices, Silence of the Lambs, silence the musical, The Curtain's Up, Tom Murphy
October 23, 2009 at 12:08 am |
The cast names are:
Buffalo Bill (not Bob!)- Connor Brown
Agent Clarice Starling – Charlie Cable
Dr Hannibal Lecter – Tom Murphy
October 23, 2009 at 6:29 am |
Thanks! Will fix ASAP. Great night!
October 23, 2009 at 6:57 am |
Thanks for coming. Glad you enjoyed all of me.
BB
October 23, 2009 at 9:39 pm |
Thankfully there was a lot more to enjoy about the show than just you but it was _really_ a treat. Where’d that robe come from anyway?
October 23, 2009 at 5:16 pm |
Loved it. Can’t wait to see Christopher Gattelli’s original New York production with additional material in January at Above The Stag.
October 23, 2009 at 9:38 pm |
This sounds VERY much like an ad for the show but whatever. It’s worth seeing again and I’m okay with a little promotion here. It’s not like you’re some sleazy scalper. Those people irritate me.
October 23, 2009 at 9:21 pm |
I saw Chris Gattelli’s production at the Fringe in NYC. Can’t wait to see his new production at the Above the Stag Theatre! I hear he is putting putting in new material! The show is a hoot!!
October 23, 2009 at 9:38 pm |
Well, let me know if you need the show reviewed …
October 24, 2009 at 3:14 pm |
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