Most times I feel fortunate to be invited to reviews shows and I see a huge amount of theatre that I would not otherwise have the opportunity to see but there is the odd show that comes along that frustrates me for one reason or another and White Rose may top this list.

White Rose not only sets out to depict a really important part of history but does so at a time where this reminder is needed more than ever and this is the source of my frustration, that a really important story with a lot of potential to have a huge amount of impact fails to land anywhere near where it should.

The show tells of the White Rose, a small group of students who set up distributing pamphlets, with the aim of shining the light on Nazi propaganda. The group is lead by sibling duo Sophie and Hans Scholl and the danger they are in as a result of their resistance grows as the show progresses. Woven into the story is Sophie’s romance with Nazi police officer Frederick Fischer and her friendship with Lila, a Jewish store owner. The themes of resistance shine through and in particular the concept of speaking up for those who are facing oppression when you sit outside of the impacted group.

The book by Brian Belding is where the problems commence. The dialogue was stilted with questions unnaturally posed to move the story on or to try to get in plot points. The characters are never really given a chance to develop and we flit from one character to another without really scratching the surface of any of them. Hans’ friend Christopher speaks of him becoming a father again and how he will have to take a step back from The White Rose, but we never hear of this after his solo, equally Lila sings a beautiful song ‘The Stars’ about her lived experience as a Jew but then we fail to see her character for a significant chunk of the show.

The music by Natalie Brice fares slightly better. It has a soft rock feel to it although at times I wanted it to lean in more to the rock feel to give it more of an identity as at time many of the numbers seemed to merge into the other. However the final songs, ‘Who Cares’ and ‘We Will Not Be Silent,’ was the perfect ending for the show and begun to show the glimmers that I had been searching for from the beginning.

Director Will Numziata doesn’t really help the trite book or the repetitive music and the direction itself is uninspired. Most of the numbers are simply belted out to the audience, making them even harder to distinguish from each other with such similar staging. Equally Numziata’s direction added very little nuance added throughout the show, what at first is impactful such as the eerie sight of a Nazi on stage at pivotal moments, becomes repetitive.

Whilst there are criticisms to be levied at the creative team the same cannot be said for the cast. Collette Guitart takes on the role of Sophie and she was a shining light in this role and did the best with the material she had. She comes across as a force to be reckoned with, determined in her quest to spread the truth. Her vocals are hugely impressive and really adds texture to some of the music. Tobias Turley played Hans Scholl, a brother exhausted by his efforts to protect his sister and an interesting contrast to Guitart’s steely Sophie, Turley’s Hans exudes concern at every turn.

White Rose is a show that I wanted so desperately to succeed as it contains a message that needs to be heard loud and clear to both educate about the past and to be inspired by peoples actions that have come before us. Unfortunately this show simply frustrated me and left me feeling that this story deserved more than this musical was currently giving it.

White Rose is playing at Marylebone Theatre until 13th April. You can find out more and book tickets here.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Operation Mincemeat, Cabaret and Why Am I So Single.