Exposure The Musical has had its world premiere at St James Theatre in London.
Every glossy magazine and tabloid newspaper publishes, on a daily basis, photos of celebrities who find themselves in front of a lens; whether or not they want to be. Some of those images will become iconic, recognisable for generations to come.
Exposure is a fresh new musical that tells a story of photography with an eclectic score and fast paced choreography. ‘Jimmy’, played by David Albury, is the son of a famous photographer who also hits the big time. Following in his father’s footsteps he travels the world capturing famine and tragedy.
He is lured in to the world of celebrity by a former school friend, ‘Pandora’, played by Niamh Perry, but ends up in too deep when he accepts a job from ‘Miles Mason’ played by Michael Greco. While at the same time falling in love with a young homeless girl played by Natalie Anderson.
David Albury gives a stellar performance, really showing the torment of the character, from losing his father at an early age to battling his own self conscience. Albury is an extremely talented performer who is well cast as the lead.
Niamh Perry as ‘Pandora’ is mesmerising to watch, perfectly portraying the young singer shot to stardom and coming undone as a result. Her performance of ‘My Last Goodbye’ is outstanding and could easily move the audience to tears.
Natalie Anderson plays Irish down and out ‘Tara’, this is a beautiful performance perfectly balancing the feisty loner against the vulnerable street urchin. Anderson has a superb vocal ability especially in ‘Innocent Skies’ and ‘Love Comes Knocking’.
The stunning dance routines are a delight to watch, the ensemble is bursting with frenetic energy and Manny Tsakanika and Lauren Stroud, in particular, are exceptional. Lindon Barr has created an exciting and contemporary choreography.
The plot is intriguing, yet seems to be almost entirely abandoned in the second act, as it becomes altogether surreal, leaving much to the audiences interpretation. The dream/coma sequence, though visually stunning, seems to have detracted from what could have been a very promising story line.
Clever staging employs the use of video screens that cover the stage, using them not only as set, but to display some of the most iconic photographs of recent history in collaboration with Getty Images.
Despite the seemingly abandoned storyline; the talented cast, exceptional dance routines, impressive staging and fresh score, make this a musical that could well develop in to a Kodak moment in the eyes of audiences lucky enough to catch it during its run.
