From Here To Eternity – Charing Cross Theatre, London

Lyrics: Tim Rice

Music: Stuart Brayson

Book: Donald Rice and Bill Oakes

Director: Brett Smock

Based on James Jones’s novel From Here To Eternity, which, of course, became a hit film, Tim Rice’s 2013 musical was always underrated. The story may be a little unfocussed, with perhaps too many main characters, but the songs are good and, in this revival at Charing Cross Theatre, these songs are sung stunningly well. With an action-packed second half, From Here To Eternity may finally get the recognition it deserves.

Private Prewitt has been ordered to join G Company stationed in Hawaii. But his superior wants him for his boxing skills rather than his expected soldierly ones. If G Company wins the boxing tournament there’s a good chance that Captain Holmes will get a promotion. However, Prewitt has given up boxing for reasons he’s keeping to himself. Meanwhile Holmes’s wife is having an affair with another soldier, and it seems as if Prewitt’s friend Maggio is hanging around the wrong kind of nightclubs. In a few days when the Japanese army drop their bombs on the military base none of this will matter.

The show begins with G Company Blues, which would be the catchiest song of the evening if the melody were developed more, but it sets the tone for the evening. The music by Stuart Brayson is a pleasing mixture of blues, call and response and some lovely pop duets. From Here To Eternity certainly doesn’t lack tunes, that is for sure. Director Brett Smock has moved some songs around since the musical premiered in the Shaftesbury Theatre and to good effect, although the best songs seem to have found their way into the second half. Now the first number after the interval is Aint’t Where I Wanna Be Blues sung by Prewitt and Warden, the soldier sleeping with Holmes’ wife.

Playing Warden, Adam Rhys-Charles probably has the best voice of the company, but his character’s lack of vision is hard to like. It’s easier to empathise with Prewiitt and Jonathon Bentley gives the retired boxer some real grit and his voice dazzles as much as his blue eyes. His solo song, Fight The Fight, brings down the house. The two men have good support, too, from Jonny Amies who gives Maggio some nice Italian-American charm and from the always-dependable Alan Turkington as the gruff Captain Holmes.

But it’s not just the men who give great performances as there are good songs for the female actors too, especially Run Along Joe sung beautifully by this year’s winner of the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Award Desmonda Cathabel and More To Life Than This by Carley Stenson who gives Karen, Holmes’s wife, some interesting hardness, In another change by Smock the drag queen character has disappeared and instead the focus is on a traditional female brothel madame and experienced actor Eve Polycarpou is suitably business-like.

Smock has set the stage in the round, and although it is mildly distracting wondering when the singers will turn their heads in your direction, his decision is mainly successful, and with the ensemble of soldiers marching and exercising (some tight choreography by Cressida Carré) there is always something to see, and when the bombs hit it is genuinely affecting seeing as all Smock’s cast can act as well as they can sing. The story’s darkness sets From Here to Eternity apart from the rest of the West End’s fluffy musicals, and for that we are to be thankful.

Runs until 17 December 2022