There has been a lot of intrigue surrounding Opening Night since it was first announced. Fresh off his box office juggernaut production of A Little Life, this isn’t director Ivo van Hove’s first array into adapting John Cassavete’s 1977 arthouse horror for the stage as he created a play version back in 2005. Now giving it the musical treatment opposite Rufus Wainwright and starring beloved BAFTA and Olivier-winning actress Sheridan Smith, did Opening Night end up being a rousing success for me?
Opening Night
Cast
- Myrtle Gordon: Sheridan Smith
- Manny: Hadley Fraser
- Sarah: Nicola Hughes
- Maurice: Benjamin Walker
- Dorothy: Amy Lennox
Rating: ★★
What is Opening Night about?
Middle-aged actress Myrtle Gordon is preparing for the opening night of a new play written by Sarah, The Second Woman. After witnessing troubled teen fan Nancy get accidentally killed after a show, Myrtle starts to lose grip on reality as she and the rest of the cast and crew anticipate opening night.
What are my thoughts on Opening Night?
Opening Night seems like the perfect material to bring to the stage as it’s essentially about a group of people putting on a show as a woman is forced to face her insecurities through the material she’s given. However, that’s when its promise ends. Trying to be a surreal psychological horror, a play within a play, a traditional musical and a fusion of film and theatre with a documentary framing device, director Ivo van Hove appears to have so many ideas flying around that the show ends up feeling unfocused on its identity, let alone its purpose in it being a musical.
Unlike another recent production that fused film and theatre in a way that enhanced its source material’s themes surrounding the entertainment industry’s ageist treatment towards women, Opening Night feels surface level at best and pretentious at worst when it comes to portraying Myrtle’s mental illness and her insecurities of ageing. While van Hove’s frequent collaborator Jan Versweyveld’s set design and camera work are impressive, if not bland with a static rehearsal studio with dressing tables, the documentary framing quickly gets thrown out the window and doesn’t capture the ambiance Cassavete’s film did so well. That’s not even getting into the lighting, with an act two sequence featuring strobes causing extreme discomfort to the point it became unwatchable.
What’s the music like?
While Rufus Wainwright is an undoubtedly talented songwriter, his lack of experience in writing musicals feels apparent in the songs he created for Opening Night. Interrupting the momentum, inconsistent in genre (going from alt rock to traditional Broadway in the space of two minutes) and including literal lyrics that could’ve easily been replaced with dialogue, by the time Myrtle sings during a preview that Sarah spells out to the audience is diagetic, you’re left baffled as the characters were singing nonstop for the last hour.
There are some bright moments in Wainwright’s score including bombastic act two opener Makes One Wonder sung with gusto by Smith and Hughes, and Nancy’s rock number in act two This Isn’t A Game Anymore as Myrtle fully descends into madness, but the songs are neither memorable enough to leave an impact or carry enough purpose to be included.
What’s the cast like?
The one thing I won’t fault in Opening Night is the phenomenally talented cast. Sheridan Smith is fully committed as Myrtle Gordon, making her insecurities as she loses grip on reality feel natural. Clearly finding inspiration from her personal struggles she’s been open about to the public, I predict an Olivier nomination for managing to make feel so real and in spite of the material she’s given.
Hadley Fraser is charismatic as obnoxious director Manny, while Nicola Hughes makes for a striking presence as writer Sarah. Shira Haas contrasts troubled fan Nancy in the limited stage time we see of that incarnation and the figment of Nancy Myrtle creates, writhing around the stage with confidence and a hit of sexuality. Benjamin Walker brings snark and humour as Myrtle’s co-star and ex Maurice as well as a lovely voice with a country-esque drawl.
The one cast member who feels criminally underutilised is Amy Lennox as Manny’s put-upon wife Dorothy. With a stunning voice and vulnerability, you get distracted seeing her reactions to the events unfolding.
What are my overall thoughts?
‘Who cares what the critics say?’ Myrtle asks at one point – I couldn’t help but let out a snigger.
Opening Night has the elements to be a gripping new musical featuring a talented cast and creative team, but it doesn’t end up gelling together by the end. The best way to describe it is it ends up feeling like the final result of The Second Woman: muddled, incoherent and surface level in its themes while having its few bright sparks thanks to the cast led by the always amazing Sheridan Smith. It claims to want to capture the feelings theatre ignites, but all I felt was boredom and confusion.
Opening Night runs at the Gielgud Theatre until July 27th 2024.
I was gifted a ticket in exchange for an honest review – all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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