This week I was invited to Bobby’s 35th Birthday party by Sedos, otherwise known as their production of Company. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim it is therefore a musical that are on most musical lovers must see list! The show follows Bobby who is surrounded by a tight knit group of married friends. It looks at the idea of what it means to be alone versus lonely as we see snapshots of Bobby’s life as he catches up with friends.
Although Company premiered in the 1970’s, its exploration of isolation, commitment and the pressure of measuring yourself against others still feels strikingly contemporary. Director Emily Phillips leans fully into these anxieties, keeping Bobby under near constant observation from the ensemble and reinforcing the sense that he is trapped beneath the expectations of those around him.
This feeling was enhanced by the clever set design by Andrew Laidlaw where the whole of the Bridewell Theatre has been transformed into Bobby’s apartment. Despite being a regular visitor to the Bridewell it felt as if it was a theatre I had never visited before. The staging was in the traverse with 2 of the 4 corners being taken up by sofas and living areas of Bobby’s apartment, another a bed and finally a whole kitchen setup. This not only worked well to take the audience to Bobby’s own apartment but to also create spaces that worked for his friends apartments and even bars.
The show heavily relies on having performers playing Bobby and his friends that are more than caricatures and Sedos did this very well ensuring that each performers on stage felt relatable in some way, Bobby himself was played by Will Garrood and his rendition of being alive really cut through to the emotional heart of the show. His Bobby was nuanced and it was easy to see the different parts of his personality and how it attracted such an eclectic group of friends. Asides from Bobby himself the rest of the show is very much a company piece (no pun intended) and the rest of the cast were a delight to watch and really got across the different versions of marriage and relationships. Anna Toogood as a neurotic Amy shone in ‘Not Getting Married Today,’ Adrianna Cordero-Marino was an utterly compelling Marta whenever she was onstage and her energy was infectious along with a delightful Charlotte Field as the air hostess April.
The band lead by Thomas Marples was well balanced and he had the entire cast well drilled, especially in ensemble numbers where harmonies were tight, no easy achievement in a Sondheim musical. Lighting design by Olly Levett was also very well considered and ensured the the concept of different areas within Bobby’s apartment was well executed.
Sedos’ production of Company is an ambitious and thoughtfully realised take on one of Sondheim’s most beloved musicals. Through inventive staging, strong musical direction and a cast that embrace the emotional complexity of the piece, the production captures the show’s enduring relevance with real clarity. At its heart, this is a cast that understands the tension between connection and loneliness and captures the complicated messy reality of adult relationships with warmth, humour and sincerity.
To find out more about Company and Sedos you can visit their website here.
If you like this review you might also like my review of previous Sedos productions including Dreamgirls, Assassins and The Crucible.