16 April 2024
The King's Theatre, Glasgow
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bonnie and Clyde the musical generated a huge fan following when it played two seasons in London recently. Now on its first ever UK and Ireland tour, the winner of 'Best New Musical' at the 2023 WhatsOnStage Awards has arrived at Glasgow's King's Theatre.
Taking us back to the 1930's and to depression era America, this new musical frames Bonnie and Clyde's story as one of young love and passion, and largely glosses over the fact that they killed 12 people during their crime spree. But it's easy to see why the musical chose this approach: criminals they may have been but Bonnie and Clyde were good looking, glamourous, and front page folk heroes in their time.
The musical draws us into their dusty, dark world and takes us from their meeting through to their inevitable deaths. I would put a spoiler alert here but the musical opens with Bonnie and Clyde dead in their car. If you didn't know that they died, well, the spoiler is staged immediately.
The book by Emmy Award nominee Ivan Menchell does a great job of including some of their backstory: Bonnie was a bit of poet who dreamt of fame like her movie star idol Clara Bow. Clive was a petty thief who, born into terrible poverty, originally stole food before progressing to cars and landing in jail for his trouble. Both came from poor families and had very few prospects. It's easy to see why they chose each other and a life of criminal adventure and notoriety on the run (short as that was.) I love that this musical has a real, dramatic storyline running through it.
Having seen the west end transfer of Bonnie and Clyde at the Garrick Theatre in London last March, I was fascinated to see how this UK tour production would match up. Thankfully, it looks just as good, in fact better, than it did in London. The video projections by Nina Dunn are stunning: they add rich detail and drama to the stage. The gunshot effects (lighting) are particularly impressive. And the costumes by Philip Witcomb are right on the money. Look at any photos from the pair's own camera roll (widely available online) and you will see just how accurate and finely detailed the outfits are.
The soundtrack is the highlight of Bonnie and Clyde. Featuring music by multi-Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award nominee Frank Wildhorn with lyrics by Tony and Oscar winner Don Black you would expect it to be something special, and it is. With a mix of country, folk, bluegrass and gospel, song after song in this musical could stand alone as a hit. From the beautiful 'Picture Show' to Bonnie's breathtaking 'How 'bout a dance' and 'Dyin ain't so bad', to the upbeat 'This World World Will remember Us' and 'Too late to turn back now' and the showstopping 'Raise a Little Hell', this soundtrack delivers original songs that transcend beyond their musical theatre classification.
The new UK tour cast do a good job with the soundtrack, though I'm sure I could detect autotune being used during a couple of the numbers; most notably during 'Raise a Little Hell.' I'm happy to be corrected; I do hope I'm wrong. But I'd rather hear the performers raw voices. Isn't that what live theatre is about after all?
Otherwise the four leads are fantastic. Alex James-Hatton (Clyde) and Sam Ferriday (Buck) are magnetic as the bad Barrow brothers who just can't help but get in trouble. I was really impressed by Katie Tonkinson (Bonnie) who didn't put a foot or note wrong. She brought so much charm and vivacity to Bonnie - A gorgeous performance. Together, Katie and Catherine Tyldesley (Blanche) are marvelous.
Catherine Tyldesley undoubtedly steals the show. She has incredible stage presence, stunning vocals and true star power. It's frankly unbelievable that Bonnie and Clyde marks her Musical Theatre debut. She's phenomenal.
If you can ignore the fact that we're celebrating murderers, Bonnie and Clyde The Musical has great original music, a dramatic storyline, a fantastic ensemble cast and it looks gorgeous. The UK tour leads are wonderful and easily stand up to their West End counterparts. Don't miss your chance to see this bold new musical whilst Bonnie and Clyde are on the run in Glasgow. Catch them at the King's Theatre until Saturday 20th April.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎵 The eagerly-awaited West End cast album of Bonnie and Clyde the musical was released in July 2023 and is now available on all streaming platforms.
📸 production photos: Richard Davenport
🩷 Director and Choreographer of Bonnie and Clyde Nick WInston is currently directing and choreographing the world premier of new musical Burlesque which will play at The Theatre Royal, Glasgow from 11 - 28 September 2024 prior to performances in London's West End. Read more about Burlesque and find tickets here
⚠️ Bonnie and Clyde Glasgow TICKET DEAL ⚠️
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The producers of Bonnie and Clyde are pleased to offer £25 tickets for ALL REMAINING PERFORMANCES at Glasgow King's Theatre. This rate is valid on price bands B-D and there are loads of great seats available. Bargain!
Click below to access the special rate and be sure to look for seats marked with a star icon and "promo seat" to secure the £25 offer.
Bonnie and Clyde are at the King's Theatre, Glasgow until Sat 20th April 2024.
BONNIE & CLYDE THE MUSICAL
The King’s Theatre, Glasgow
Tue 16 – Sat 20 April 2024
Mon – Sat: 7:30pm, Wed & Sat: 2:30pm
🎟️ Other UK venues: Tickets: www.atgtickets.com
Bonnie and Clyde Cast (UK Tour 2024)
Clyde Barrow Alex James-Hatton
Bonnie Parker Katie Tonkinson
Blanche Barrow Catherine Tyldesley
Buck Barrow Sam Ferriday
Ted Hinton Daniel Reid-Walters
Preacher AJ Lewis
Bonnie and Clyde review, UK Tour at King's Theatre, Glasgow April 2024. Musical Theatre, Catherine Tyldesley.
🎟️ Disclosure: I was invited to review this show and received a complimentary ticket in exchange for my time and for writing this review. Neither the venue nor show has a say in what I write. I'm completely independent and review invites do not have any impact on my analysis or star ratings.
📸 Find Lisa in the Theatre on Instagram for more photos and videos.
