The Boys From Syracuse – Upstairs at the Gatehouse, London

Music: Richard Rodgers

Lyrics: Lorenz Hart

Book: George Abbott

Director: Mark Giesser

“If it’s good enough for Shakespeare, it’s good enough for you” declares the chorus to the audience in the opening scene of The Boys From Syracuse. But is it good enough? Adapted from The Comedy of Errors, possibly the Bard’s silliest play, this 1938 show is possibly the silliest musical in the history of Broadway.

The boys are the noble Antipholus (John Faal) and his manservant Dromio (played in very camp style by Brendan Matthew). The pair sail from Syracuse to the rival state of Ephesus where they have identical twin brothers from whom they were separated at birth. The brothers are also named Antipholus and Dromio. What follows is a couple of hours of madcap comedy based on mistaken identities.

The chief problem facing any director of this musical or the original play is finding a way to keep the audience aware of which twin is appearing in any given scene. Mark Giesser opts for the same two actors, dressed in the same garish costumes, playing both twins. Also, other actors in the exuberant company of eight double up supporting roles. The result of this is that we are constantly questioning “who’s who?” and, frequently, the confusion drains the comedy of its life.

The songs, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, include several that were established as standards before most of us were born. Falling in Love With Love etc should have the audience singing along, but even the lesser-known songs prove that Rodgers could certainly knock out a tune. The singing is hit and miss, but the five-piece band, under the direction of Benjamin Levy, is consistently excellent, particularly when bringing out the jazzy elements in the score.

The show belongs to an era when musical theatre on Broadway was still evolving. Judged by modern standards most of the songs seem separate from George Abbott’s book, there to be inserted every 10 minutes or so in the style of a Vaudeville revue and doing little to propel the narrative. Thus the show feels disjointed, book and songs not fully integrated as in later musicals which Rodgers himself was to pioneer in his partnership with Oscar Hammerstein III.

So, many reservations, but, as a jolly night out in a pub theatre, this is a gallant effort. Alice McNicholas’ outrageous costume designs fill the space with colour and the actors give it their all. Finally, Giesser finds a splendid solution to the identification problem in a climactic scene which brings the evening’s biggest laughs, uplifts the audience and sends us away feeling much more generous towards what has gone before.

Runs until 29 September 2024