Chicago – The Playhouse, Edinburgh

Music: John Kander

Lyrics:Fred Edd

Book: Fred Ebb & Bob Fosse

There are few more intoxicatingly enticing ways to begin a production than that ofChicago; “Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery…all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts.” Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse’s Chicagoplaces these seductive scintillations at the very beating heart of their production, and with John Kander’s killer (pun intended) score, it has gone on to be a staple of musical theatre, the industry, and a juggernaut representation of vaudeville and brand the merry murderesses as icons of the stage.

But the idea that a killer – a murderer, could find themselves glorified and celebrated by the media at large could never stretch into the realms of reality… right? Well, the razzle-dazzle of the roaring twenties concealed many a secret, and for nightclub dancer and housewife Roxy Hart it couldn’t hide the murder of her lover after he threatens to leave. Convicted, desperate and hungry, Roxy fools the media and rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by capturing the tabloids attention with the help of slick criminal lawyer Billy Flynn for both her life, and a small profit.

With the live band onstage gifted the rightful level of attention as dance and vocal performers, the score and songs of the production leave as wealthy an impact as the lead performances of Faye Brookes and Djalenga Scott as Roxy and Velma.

Firecrackers, lashing with drive and enthusiasm, the pair remind us of the exhilaration of live in-person performance and the value of tight choreography and whispers of vaudeville influences. Brooke’s expressive demeanour and playfully false demure are infectious to witness, a different Roxy than the more bombastic one’s others have brought to the role, and a welcome one. Her chemistry with Darren Day’s Billy Flynn thankfully has a measureless intimacy and flirtation that previous renditions, their synchronicity duringWe Both Reached for the Gunis a stroke of brilliance on Brooke’s animated part.

Ignoring the arbitrary and conceited wolf whistles, Djalenga Scott captures the space within moments with presence, as well as appeal. A commanding figure who poses a sense of character and sincerity underneath the talent. Showcasing Bob Fosse and Anne Reinking’s choreography to the fullest, Scott and the ensemble transform the visual splendour of William Ivey Long’s costume into mesmeric artistry, guaranteed to raise the blood pressure in the room. Vocally, the cast matches the physicality, both Brookes and Scott turning in solid vocals, Scott striking out with efficacious control and delivering an unstoppable Cell Block Tango.

And not to be left behind, UK Drag Race superstar Divina De Campo struts out with a deliberate, measured performance as Mary Summerville, a certain degree of class found within, and a killer reveal to embolden the audience. Looking right through Joel Montague may be tricky to achieve, but Mr Cellophane himself reminds audiences of the calibre of West End talent away from the big celebrity names. Reserved, but with a measure of humour and comic timing, Montague steals the audience’s hearts as the bemused and overlooked Amos, Roxy’s husband and patsy.

And it’s a subtlety required against the glitz and sparkle, a more human performance than the stock, though enjoyable, the performance of Darren Day capturing the slickness of Flynn, delivering the right notes, but maintaining a by-the-numbers routine of the character.

Chicagosets out to source the spectacle in indulgence and the thrill of fame but cautions to the cost of seeking it through dangerous means and the futility of guilt. After all, if it’s what you wanted to do at the time – then what’s the point of guilt? Chicago shines theRazzle Dazzleof musical theatre back into Edinburgh, shaking up the dust and rattling the cages of the bold, the rambunctious and the forgotten.

Runs until 2 October 2021, then continues on tour | Image: Contributed