The Edge, University of Bath, 11th June 2023
This is a memorable slick production of an ambitious show. For many involved, it is their final production with BUSMS, and they are going out with a highly-appropriate bang.
When you come away from a university production of a challenging musical feeling that you have had as good a night as watching the West End version, you know you have a winner on your hands. And Bath University Student Musicals Society's rendition of Bonnie and Clyde, showing as part of the Bath Fringe Festival, pulls this feat off admirably, substituting London production values with a pared-down version and a tangible passion shown by the company for every moment of the show.
Bonnie and Clyde is a compelling, funny and suspenseful musical by Ivan Menchell, Don Black and Frank Wildhorn, telling the true story of how a young couple in Depression America became killers and robbers, and in the process grew into iconic celebrities, which was really what they wanted all along. It's a challenging work for a non-professional company as it uses a broad range of styles of music, demands truthful performances to ground the true-yet-improbable story, and requires a highly versatile set for its numerous scenes.
"The music... is a genuine stand-out"
Thankfully the show is in very safe hands here. Directors Hatty Bohun and Laura Trudgill give us a production which is fast-paced, and yet allows the romantic or poignant elements time to breathe. The simple set may have been dictated by budget but serves the show well, and the continual presence on stage of the car in which the lovers eventually get killed (no spoilers there, it opens the show!) is a constant reminder of their inevitable fate. The use of projected images of newspaper reports and photos is seamlessly done, grounding the story back to reality.
The music, under Hayden Fernandes' polished direction, is a genuine stand-out: I assumed the whole show was accompanied by a professional soundtrack, until the band came on stage at the end for their well-deserved personal curtain call.
The company works well together, with an all- round firm grasp on the Texan accent (no easy feat to make this sound authentic instead of comedic). Charlotte McKenna and Aspen Hamilton as the younger Bonnie and Clyde respectively have very effective moments to both open and close the show, and Luca Brown as Bonnie's would-be boyfriend Ted gives us a very sensitive rendition of You Can Do Better Than Him, while Zac Arnold as the Preacher has strong presence and firm vocals.
"Lucy Allan as Bonnie never falters"
But this show really depends upon the strength of its lead actors, and all four here give exemplary committed performances. Arthur Anstis as Clyde's conflicted brother Buck, torn between the glamour of crime and the security of a career, makes a great impact, blending goofy comedy with genuine pathos, and his energy-fuelled duet with his brother (When I Drive) is a real highlight, alongside his moving final moments. Sophie Brownbill as his outwardly-conservative wife Blanche effectively downplays the comedy of her role to give us a passionate and believable woman who is both strong and afraid, and sings Now That's What You Call a Dream with moving tenderness. Lucy Allan as Bonnie never falters, fully committed to the naivety, ambition and determination of the character, with a rich versatile singing voice used particularly well in You Love Who You Love and Dyin' Ain't So Bad, both acted superbly. And Jack Ramsay has great charisma as Clyde, using excellent controlled stillness throughout his performance in a role in which it would be tempting to be a ball of nervous energy. His tenor vocals soar, but are most effective in the tender restrained love song Bonnie, sung perfectly.
This is a memorable slick production of an ambitious show. For many involved, it is their final production with BUSMS, and they are going out with a highly-appropriate bang.
★★★★★
Bonnie & Clyde was performed at The Edge, University of Bath on the 10th & 11th June as part of Bath Fringe Festival.