★★★★★
‘Chess’, the ever-changing, 1980s musical has notoriously divided opinion among the theatre landscape. Despite this, the musical has attained a devoted fan base. Limited to only three performances, this production directed by Nick Winston was labelled as ‘not to be missed’ with a world-renowned cast being accompanied by the phenomenal London Musical Theatre Orchestra.
‘Chess’ illuminates the USA and USSR Cold War Rivalry through the lens of chess championships and a love triangle between the protagonists. Set in 1984, egotistical American Freddie Trumper (Joel Harper-Jackson) is introduced as the world champion, who will be taking on Anatoly Sergeivesky (Hadley Fraser) of the Soviet Union. Samantha Barks is Florence, Freddie’s second and Anatoly’s eventual lover. Frances Mayli McCann is Anatoly’s estranged wife Svetlana, Craig Els is the KGB Agent Molokov and Ako Mitchell presides over proceedings as the Arbiter to complete the stellar line-up.
What has made ‘Chess: The Musical’ so loved over the years is the score, and the cast deliver the numbers spectacularly. Samantha Barks, who has made the Drury Lane her stomping ground lately due to her role in Frozen, is fantastic, bringing the house down with the euphoric ‘Nobody’s Side’ and ‘Heaven Help My Heart.’ Harper-Jackson nails the arrogant persona of Freddie Trumper with ‘One Night In Bangkok’, but it is his performance of ‘Pity The Child’ that is his best moment. His final note in particular is phenomenal and is met with deafening applause.
It is Hadley Fraser however who steals the show as Anatoly. He performs throughout in a Russian accent with ease, a rarity for an actor to do in this role. His rendition of ‘Where I Want To Be’ a number that details Anatoly’s inner conflictions is mesmerising, and Act One closer ‘Anthem’ is even more so. The masterful ‘Endgame,’ which sees Anatoly retain his chess title that he gained from Trumper in Act One, is perhaps the highlight in what is a captivating performance from Fraser. As a Chess obsessive, I can confidently say that Fraser’s Anatoly is the best performance of the character that I’ve seen.
The labelling of this production as a ‘concert’ is deceptive, as Winston’s staging and choreography make his performance of ‘Chess’ feel like a full scale production. With two rising staircases either side of the stage, it makes the stage feel like a combat zone as battles of politics, affection and of course chess play out. The staging aids the ballad ‘Mountain Duet’ as Florence and Anatoly are able to walk down the staircases and intimately meet each other in the middle. By the time we get to the powerfully conclusive ‘You And I (Reprise)’ at the end of the musical, their connection has been illuminated and there is not a dry eye in the house.
There is also a visual screen above the stage, which on occasion displays cheesy animations during songs, but it comes into its own when being deployed as a story aid through the medium of news reports. Sir Trevor McDonald regularly appears as a journalist, recapping events. This is an innovative move from Winston, as it makes the musical’s story a lot easier to understand. The choreography, also constructed by Winston, is modern in its style and provides movement to a musical that has often struggled to flow.
With a captivating cast, orchestra and staging, this is ‘Chess: The Musical’ at the best it has ever been. The score that we know so well is performed masterfully and the enthralling staging assists in telling the story. If this concert production of ‘Chess’ follows in the footsteps of other concert performances, it may well be in line for a longer West End run in the near future.
Words by Ester Scott
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