Book and Lyrics: Gareth Mattey
Music and Lyrics: Jordan Li-Smith
Director: Dean Johnson
Gareth Mattey and Jordan Li-Smith, in the programme for British Youth Music Theatre, cite Albert Herring, The Wizard of Oz, 90s and 00s pop hits and Gilbert and Sullivan as influences. They are being a bit coy about Benjamin Britten’s opera: it is in fact the impetus to the whole plot. In Albert Herring in the absence of suitable females poor innocent Albert becomes the May King of Luxford, has his drink spiked, escapes and does unmentionable things. Theo is chosen by the townsfolk of Dulberry to be their Fall King for the same reason, becomes drunk and escapes. Theo in Between could be said to be the tale of the unmentionable things Albert did. Incidentally we don’t get to pick up the names of many in the cast of 30-plus, some of them doubling, but a glance at the programme afterwards reveals Florence Pike, Treasurer Britten, Councillor Loxford and many others.
Theo In Between is full of melodies, accompanied by a sprightly quintet led by Li-Smith on keyboards and including two “young instrumentalists”, with plenty of numbers that takes us on a musical journey (as the lengthy opening chorus about a wild day in Dulberry, a more than lively start) through solos and choruses and switches of melody – all sung with uncommon zest by the company. One or two of the solo numbers expose failures of intonation, but everyone attacks the lyrics with purpose and precision.
Initially Teddy (trying to convince everyone to call him Theo) is a gentle youth uncertain of themself working in their mother’s book and video shop. They want to know what sort of a person they should be and Rachel, the dethroned Fall Queen, and Simon, her boyfriend (perhaps), take it upon themselves to tutor them. But the person who could really tell them, his father, has left his mother and is living in London.
So it proceeds, with tongue lurking around the writers’ and Dean Johnson, the director’s cheeks. Then, 70 minutes in, we move into fantasy as Theo sets off for London to find their father. It’s The Wizard of Oz as three oddly assorted individuals join Theo on the road (some nice visuals reminding us of the Yellow Brick Road). They find their father, is mightily disappointed by his unreconstructed view of gender and is magicked back to Kansas (sorry, Dulberry) where they resume their previous existence, having learned the pleasures of being “in between”.
In all this, the singing, dancing, running ensemble of 11-21 year olds deserves the highest praise. Johnson manoeuvres them on a sizeable stage fairly empty of scenery with great skill. Eleni Chivers as Theo is a winning blend of authority and diffidence and they sing well, too – a remarkable performance! Fine support comes from Millie Flannery (Rachel), Harry Newby (Simon), Graysen Oakes (Mum) and James Gould, the voice of the saloon bar as Rachel’s father and Theo’s own father – a clever double (shades of Wizard of Oz again).
The production is perfectly integrated, but the text lacks control where Mattey and Li-Smith’s message is strongest. Unfortunately Press Night was the second of only four performances, but perhaps it may have some life beyond Leeds. If some youth company picks up the show, it could do with losing 15-20 minutes, though to be fair the audience concentration over 100 minutes without intermission was impressive.
Reviewed on 22 August 2025
