After converting to the Jamie Lloyd hype train after Sunset Boulevard I was incredibly excited to see his most recent directorial outing, his reinvention of another Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Evita. Evita tells of Eva Peron’s rise to fame and power looking at how she did it, her ambitions, her charity work and her impact on Argentina, all narrated by Che.

The first thing that hits you about this production is that the music has gone back to its roots, the score was originally written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice as a rock concept album and this has been really leaned into and it has never sounded better. The band are positioned on stage and sound design by Adam Fisher ensures that the sound has a stadium feel whilst not missing a single word.

The direction by Jamie Lloyd is inspired and whilst it is produced in his signature style there is nothing tired or unoriginal about it. He leans into the difference between the public perception of Eva and the contrast between her private thoughts, a more exposed Eva. This difference is played out immaculately in the staging of ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.’ Throughout most of the show we see Eva in a bralette and short skirt, her long dark hair loose, but she appears on her walk to the London Palladium balcony in the traditional white gown and blonde up do. She quite literally delivers her famous song to the adoring masses and as she makes her way back to the stage her gown and wig are removed, suggestive that only us are privy to the private whys of Eva Peron. The balcony scene is far from a gimmick but instead is an ingenious way to convey his vision of how Eva should be seen in this show.

Rachel Zegler as Eva plays this up perfectly with many knowing glances to the audience and wry smiles. A production of Evita and its success can hinge on the casting of Eva Peron and Jamie Lloyd has hit the jackpot with Zegler. At one point she sings ‘just a little touch of star quality,’ and that star quality is undeniable and she has more than a little touch of it. She is utterly captivating to watch as Eva with flawless vocals and a sizzling portrayal, unafraid to make the part very much her own.

The rest of the cast are also superb. Diego Andres Rodriguez is Che and he is also making his West End debut. His portrayal of Che grew more and more chilling as Eva’s trajectory soars and the unspoken power dynamic between Eva and Che was thrilling to watch. James Olivas’ plays a steely Juan Peron and Aaron Lee Lambert as Magaldi injects some comedy into the show perfectly. Bella Brown ensures her moment as the Mistress and her rendition of Another Suitcase In Another Hall is a highlight of the show.

The ensemble are also one of the fiercest ensemble I have seen on the West End stage. Their energy and conviction song after song is astounding and the verve and precision that they attack Fabian Aloise’s choreography with is breath-taking. Moments of the choreography are ingenious and The Art of The Possible sees a dancer clad in Military attire dispose of Peron’s opponents in methods that come back to haunt Eva in her final moments. With Aloise’s choreography there were some numbers I didn’t want to end such was the sheer spectacle on stage, ‘Buenos Aires’ and the ‘Money Kept Rolling In (and Out)’ were two such numbers and these were wonderfully contrast with comedy in some numbers such as ‘Goodnight and Thank You,’ proving the breadth of this show.

The superlatives continue when describing the rest of the show and the seamless manner the vision is worked into other elements. Soutra Gilmour as the set and costume designer triumphs with the cast clad in greys and blacks but the style changing depending on their rank in Argentinian society. This was perfectly denoted by the Mistresses switch back to a grey smock after her dismissal by Eva.

Jamie Lloyd’s production of Evita breathes not only fresh air into Evita but fire into it’s belly. This show has the magic ingredients of fusing a career defining performance by Zegler and Jamie Lloyd’s ingenious vision realised live on stage.

Evita is currently playing a limited run for 12 weeks until September 6th. You can buy tickets here.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Sunset Boulevard, Starlight Express and Stereophonic.