Trafalgar Studios
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In the grimy Trafalgar Fair, Grinpayne performs as a circus freak telling his traumatic story for people's amusement. There is a beautiful romance between him and Dea, the baby whom he rescued the night that he lost his mother. They live together under the care of Ursus, the man who took them in from the snow that night. The story twists and turns as we slowly find out about Grinpayne's past and also visit the somewhat bizarre royal family that play an important part in the story. The royals add a comic element to the piece, although at times I found the gaudy humour was at odds with the emotional sincerity of the rest of the show.
Jon Bausor's set is absolutely unbelievable. The action is framed in a bloody grin, circus like in the fact that it's made up of wooden planks just barely painted. In fact, the whole auditorium is made into a circus tent, with draping fabrics and fairy lights reaching to the top of the theatre. Tattered circus posters are plastered on the walls, fully immersing the audience, taking us right into Trafalgar Fair. Bausor's award for Best Design on this production is greatly deserved. Costume Design was also superb, it really added to the gritty, gothic feel of the piece. There were some clever touches, such as when fans of Grinpayne acquire Grinning Man 'merch' - bandages decorated with a drawing of the famous gaping smile.
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Puppetry is a key part of this production, and it is masterfully created by Toby Olie and Finn Caldwell of Gyre & Gimble, who are behind the likes of Running Wild and The Lorax. We first meet Grinpayne as a puppet, and he is worked with such expertise that yes, he did seem like a Real Boy. And whilst not having any strings, he certainly did pull on the heartstrings. The wolf, Mojo, who rescues Grinpayne and baby Dea at the beginning of the story is so fantastic that I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't actually real. The puppets brought such a magical, mystical quality to the show - a real gem in the production. |
The music in The Grinning Man is so unique. The show doesn't pump out big, blingy show tunes, instead the music is cleverly created and is instrumental in webbing the haunting world, perfectly complimenting Grinpayne's tale . The score has not left my mind since seeing the production. The voice of Sanne den Besten (Dea) lends itself beautifully to the gothic aspect of this show. Julian Bleach as Barkilphedro, the sad, twisted royal clown is wonderful. In the title role, Louis Maskell shines. There are some incredibly difficult melodies and high notes, which he hits with ease and flair. The fact that he could sing so exquisitely and communicate every emotion to the audience with only half of his face (throughout the show he wears a mask which is then also covered by a crepe bandage) is just remarkable.
I felt totally immersed in the production, not least because the string players performed from the sides of the auditorium and at points the actors climbed across the seats. This musical is simply a work of genius. Not to be missed under any circumstances!
The show is running until May 5th. Also, given the rake of the auditorium you should get an excellent view from wherever you sit.