Spectacularly imaginative storytelling in the much-loved film’s triumphant journey to the stage
For those brought up on the Exodus story, sharing it every year at the Passover Seder table, and for fans of the hit film, there are no spoilers in The Prince of Egypt, but there are surprises in this full-blooded reimagining of the musical.
For starters, in Philip LaZebnik’s book, the bromance between Luke Brady’s conflicted, confused wide boy Moses, and Liam Tamne‘s even wilder more arrogant Ramses, is a wonderfully imaginative spin. The pair are brothers in all but blood: Moses a willing wingman, taking the rap for Ramses’ excesses when their irate father King Seti comes down heavy on them with all the wrath of the Pharaohs. It makes for more satisfying characters behind the mutual violence between abusive Egyptian overlords and their eventually vengeful slaves.
Moses’s future wife Tzipporah also gets a back story here. She appears first as just another female victim of conquest, even if she is an early incarnation of the #metoo generation, defiant in her hatred of the sexually transgressive machismo of her Egyptian conquerors. But back in her desert home, she joins her father Jethro, ruler of the Midianites, to give Moses direction and purpose when he flees into the desert, confused and rudderless after killing an Egyptian taskmaster for viciously flogging a Hebrew slave.
Pitch-perfect casting enhances the confident storytelling. Joe Dixon’s Seti may be a stern, authoritative father and Pharaoh, but he’s under the thumb of his bossy Queen consort, Tanisha Spring’s imperious Nefertari. Gary Wilmot’s warm and wise Jethro is a fine incarnation of the father-in-law to whom Moses turns for advice; and Christine Allado’s feisty Tzipporah matches Moses in voice and emotion. Alexia Khadime’s Miriam is rock-solid as the brave, resourceful big sister; and Khadime in turn can depend on the young performers who share the role of the plucky youngster looking out for the baby in the basket (I saw sweet-voiced Hannah Selk). Adam Pearce’s high priest Hotep relishes the full-blooded cruelty of his role serving Egypt’s unforgiving gods – and the chance to perform magic, courtesy of Chris Fisher’s illusions.
It’s the extraordinary vision of director Scott Schwartz (son of composer/lyricist Stephen) and his team, combined with the sheer high energy and talent of the 19-strong chorus, that lifts this epic out of the ordinary. Kevin Depinet’s set with Jon Driscoll’s projections have Egyptian colossi towering over the auditorium and walls of Red Sea waves sweeping away Pharaoh’s armies. The chorus combines almost miraculously in choreographer Sean Cheesman’s shifting stage pictures to create a well and the burning bush, as well as conveying the all-too-human suffering of the Hebrew slaves in the powerful opening number ‘Deliver Us’, and later the horrors of the plagues.
Ann Hould-Ward’s gorgeously realised costumes enhance every scene. MD David Rose’s 16-strong orchestra (orchestrations August Eriksmoen) makes a lovely layered sound picture of Schwartz’s score (with 10 new numbers, including soaring love song ‘Never in a Million Years’ for Moses and Tzipporah). Just as for the Israelites, it is the journey that counts in this courageous epic.
By Judi Herman
Photos by Tristram Kenton
The Prince of Egypt runs until Saturday 31 October. 7.30pm, 2.30pm (Thu & Sat only). From £19.50. Dominion Theatre, W1T 7AQ. www.theprinceofegyptmusical.com
Listen to our interview with director Scott Schwartz on JR OutLoud.