I never thought that I would find myself wishing for Death to triumph and conquer all, but that is exactly what I found myself doing whilst watching this show.
The intimate Charing Cross theatre was the perfect size for this chamber piece. However, the music is not particularly memorable, the lyrics are trite, and the dialogue is clunky and awkward. And yet there is something charming about this production.
Chris Peluso stalks around the stage as Death, every step heavy and placed, betraying a hidden burden and pain. However you want him to be more natural and ‘come to life’ a little more as Prince Sirki. Zoe Doano as Grazia is, by contrast, full of life. Peluso’s childlike ignorance of what it means to be human is tempered by a dark menace, but I still found myself rooting for Death!
The set is simple and flows effortlessly between the scenes, and the costumes are beautiful and elegant, but neither are particularly reminiscent of Italy.
Peluso and Doano are very vocally talented, but the score only gives you glimpses of this. Special mention must be made of Samuel Thomas' exquisitely poignant and haunting rendition of ‘Roberto’s Eyes’. One bizarre feature of this show is that nearly every song is a monologue sung out front to the audience, which makes the show seem fundamentally amateur in nature. Perhaps this is part of its charm. This is a show I would recommend seeing, but it is unlikely to become a household favourite.