Despite a Broadway run in 2011, Catch Me If You Can has never received a West End production or UK tour. Having only recently become available to amateur companies, I was excited to see Geoids bring this rarely performed musical to a London stage. The show follows a con man, Frank Abagnale and his time on the run from FBI Agent Carl Hanratty as we see Frank take on guises from a pilot to a Doctor through to a lawyer.
The book by Terrance McNally is incredibly fun and we see the stage swarming with air hostesses one moment and nurses the next and director and choreographer Ethea Jasmine Lee has really leaned into this side of things. Whilst some of the shows attempts at emotional depth feel underwritten compared to the dazzling spectacle surrounding them, it rarely becomes an issue because the production embraces the show’s infectious energy.
The show is set in the 1960’s and the music of the show by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman often lean into this style. The musical theatre geeks amongst us are also treated to the fact that we can finally see ‘Live In Living Colour’ and ‘Goodbye’ in the full context of the show and it certainly enhanced both of these musical theatre concert favourites. The music in this production was looked after by musical director Chris Forte Nelson and a 12 strong band which produced a superb sound. With so many musical numbers and the limited rehearsal time that a band of an amateur show inevitably faces the precision, energy and consistency of the playing was genuinely impressive, helping really drive the energy of the show as a whole. There were however times where the sound balance was off with the band overpowering the casts vocals, especially during solos or duets.
Evan Huntley-Robertson took on the role of Frank Jr and he was perfectly cast in this role. Incredibly charismatic with a warm tone to his voice which was well suited to Shaiman’s score he led the show with a natural confidence and warmth which meant that you couldn’t help but root for him despite his fraudster ways. Whilst Huntley-Robertson was dazzling as Frank Jr, Jack Bolton playing FBI Agent Carl Hanratty created the a counter balance to Frank’s larger than life persona and against Huntley-Robertson’s charm he brought the sincerity so that by the end their relationship was every bit as important as Frank Jrs cons and chaos. Ruby Young as Brenda Strong also brought the heart to the production and her rendition of ‘Fly Fly Away’ was one of the emotional highlights of the show.
There is also a huge supporting cast in Catch Me If You Can and Geoid’s production saw a cast of 26 in total who played everything from FBI agents to dancing nurses and everything in between. They deserve significant credit for marinating the pace of the production constantly switching between roles, locations and character types they ensured that the stage never felt static and helped create the fast moving, almost cinematic feel that the show demands. At each moment they all really leaned into each character striking the balance brilliantly between comedy moments and pulling focus of a scene or dance number.
Ethea Jasmine Lee also had the ensemble well drilled and in numbers such as ‘Jet Set’ and ‘Doctor’s Orders’ the sheer number of ensemble performing the dances to a high standard made these two songs stand out moments of the show, creating a visually impressive number to watch and enjoy.
The set design also worked well, not only utilising the space well to ensure that the high energy was maintained throughout the frequent location changes but also really playing into the fact that this was Frank Jr’s retelling of his own life and the underlying question therefore of how much of it all can be believed.
Catch Me If You Can may not enjoy the profile of some of its contemporaries but Geoids make a compelling case for why it deserves to be seen more often. Packed with energy and strong performances this production embraces the show’s style and spectacle. For those discovering the musical for the first time and for fans who have long waited to see it staged locally, Geoids have delivered an entertaining evening that proves this Broadway gem still has plenty of life left in it.
Catch Me If You Can is on at the Bridewell Theatre until 6th June. You can find out more about Geoids and book tickets here.
If you like this review you might also like my review of previous Geoids productions including 42nd Street, Into The Woods and Saturday Night Fever.