Bret Easton Ellis’s stunning Nineteen Eighties satire American Psycho, about murderous Wall Road banker Patrick Bateman, options many ugly deaths, however the story itself is one which refuses to die.
Because the novel’s publication, there was one nice movie adaptation, starring Christian Bale, and one other, from Name Me By Your Identify director Luca Guadagnino, is within the works.
In the meantime, a musical that first premiered at London’s Almeida Theater starring Dr Who’s Matt Smith has been revived 13 years later on the identical venue by authentic director Rupert Goold.
One factor’s for certain: with regards to screen-to-stage diversifications, this marks a change from all these teen film musicals flooding the market.
And the story, through which the horribly narcissistic and misogynistic Bateman commits a homicide spree that he can apparently get away with due to his wealth and beauty – or can he? – stays a fierce commentary on the impunity of the elites.
However the issue is that musical theater is basically about emotional expression, with characters pouring their hearts out via music.
So if in case you have a murderous psychopath because the lead in your musical, you’ll inevitably go away a gap within the center. The outcome for me was that I left this present feeling numb, and never in a great way.
What cannot be faulted is the manufacturing, which is as slick as may be, from the opening scene through which Bateman – now performed by rising star Arty Froushan – rises from the ground in a bathe stall and describes his morning routine in obsessive element.
Designer Es Devlin’s trendy minimalist staging combines with rave-y lighting and video design to present the entire thing the texture of a twisted vogue present. The costumes are suitably sharp and there may be some wonderful, poppy choreography.
However the authentic songs themselves are a distinct story – or, let’s not beat across the bush, utterly forgettable. Utilizing synths and drum machines, their tinny electro sound is matched by their decided superficiality, which, whereas true to the spirit of the piece, turns into tiresome.
How invested can you actually be in songs that focus on reciting vogue labels, or paying tribute to the facility of a trendy enterprise card? The actual drawback is the choice to combine these songs with renditions of actual ’80s pop hits like Everyone Needs to Rule The World and Within the Air Tonight: highlights as these sequences are, they clarify the shortage of respectable melodies elsewhere.
As for the story, there’s leisure available within the decline of New York’s social scene and its vapid, self-obsessed residents.
However, as staged right here, the murders themselves do not possess the actually visceral horror that they did in Easton Ellis’s unforgettably disturbing prose, whereas Froushan as Bateman cannot match the demonic energy that Bale had on display screen: he is a bit too apparent, vulnerably neurotic from the beginning, and the script right here makes it very clear that his murderousness could also be all in his head.
To boost the play, the script additionally belatedly makes an attempt to make a heroine out of Bateman’s lovelorn secretary Jean by giving her a climactic, sentimental ballad A Woman Earlier than – however at this stage, and regardless of Anastasia Martin’s sympathetic efficiency, the try to inject some sincerity into the proceedings feels somewhat laughable.
For a thought-provoking night time out, you would do loads worse, however the present basically fails to convincingly make the case that Easton Ellis’ weird supply materials actually wanted the song-and-dance remedy.
Verdict: This creepy present, primarily based on Bret Easton Ellis’ ugly story a few murderous Wall Road Banker, definitely stands out amongst musical audiences – however sadly cannot match the unique novel or the movie.
American Psycho runs till March 21 on the Almeida Theatre, London.
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