The Angel of Death

Where and how did the legend of the Grim Reaper - as spooky as it is indelible - first originate, and what must it be like to have to carry out the duties of the job? B&H Theatre Company have attempted to answer these (and other) questions in a musical theatrical package which, despite more than its share of bumpy and wobbly passages, ultimately sent this reviewer home with a smile.

Somewhat reminiscent of the Pratchett-based theatre that one regularly encounters at the Bakehouse, The Angel of Death is a rather ambitious undertaking, but its ambitions are not completely achieved. It attempts to encompass questions of spiritual philosophy within a beyond-the-grave historical family drama, while also juggling comic and pantomime elements as well as a string of songs (performed to a pre-recorded backing track).

Matthew Briggs' script is built on an interesting, promising idea, and a number of the plot developments demonstrate intelligence and imagination. Unfortunately, for a large part of the first act, the levels of humour and energy are rarely in tune with each other. Sometimes a performer is acting up a storm without the jokes to justify the effort, sometimes an actor's misplaced understatement weakens the good line they are given - and in some instances, both elements are crucially missing.

Happily, the second act proves to be a real pick-me-up, even if it also involves the already off-beat plot growing weirder (virtually by-the-minute), and despite the musical numbers occasionally feeling like unnecessary padding. Briggs understands the effectiveness of wrapping things up with a final battle, which goes a long way toward generating a sense of satisfaction by the time the cast have taken their final bows.

Theodore Girgolas is capable and sympathetic in the title role, while Kimberly Jones' Queen Elizabeth is a standout portrayal, both dramatically and vocally. Carolina Fioravanti, though occasionally over-stressing the script's melodrama in her delivery as young heroine Michelle, is a very charismatic performer. Ali Bertoldi, playing Sir Francis Drake, also possesses a strong and magnetic presence on the stage, while Natalie Hockley's explosive comic talents (playing the ultimate in possessive mothers) end up pretty much stealing the show.

Some of the smaller roles did not appear to display an equal amount of energy or enthusiasm to the rest, which led to some unhelpful distraction, particularly during choreographic routines. The decision made to seemingly under-play the archetypal figures of God and the Devil is also a curious one; what was perhaps intended as a 'cool' approach mostly struck this reviewer as disappointingly ineffective.

If the degrees of imagination and ambition demonstrated in The Angel of Death can be maintained in the future, and the levels of energy, discipline and polish can be increased, then B&H Theatre Company may well prove to be a theatre group worth keeping an eye on.

Anthony Vawser