Originally conceived by Sheldon Epps, Blues in the Night is a deliciously soulful homage to The Great American Songbook, and having played in the West End in the late eighties it makes a return to London at The Kiln Theatre under the direction of Susie McKenna.
It’s probably most accurately described as a musical revue rather than a musical. Songs from the likes of Bessie Smith, Vernon Duke and Alberta Hunter provide the soundtrack to a very loose, almost non-existent storyline. It’s set in a run-down Chicago hotel; the kind where people tend to live rather than just stay. ‘The Girl’ arrives looking for a room and discovers she shares more than a little in common with ‘The Woman’ and ‘The Lady’.
These common traits are shared through the legendary songs, with each of the central characters personifying the traits of their character’s title. This also applies to the hotel owner, ‘The Man’ who has the misfortune of seeming to represent all men ever born, and so faces the firing squad with practically every note sung.
All of the music is played live on stage by ‘Oscar’ (Mark Dickman) on the piano and his band ‘The Strollers’. They do a marvellous job, and the music is as much of a joy to listen to as the words which accompany it, and this is coming from someone who would not naturally describe themselves as a fan of Blues music.
Robert Jones’ design works particularly well, the three hotel rooms defined by simple frames which surround the main lobby, home to the bar and the all-important band. In the background an old-fashioned lift shaft looms over the cast, with a fire escape for company.
While nothing much can be said about the plot, where Blues in the Night excels is in the performance. Sharon D. Clarke, Debbie Kurup and Gemma Sutton are all magnificent as the Lady, Woman and Girl respectively, with 27 songs in the canon there are plenty of opportunities for them each to shine individually, as well as part of the collective group.
Gemma Sutton has her stand out moment with ‘Willow Weep For Me’, while for Debbie Kurup it comes in act two’s ‘Rough and Ready Man’. Unsurprisingly, when it comes to Sharon D. Clarke every time she opens her mouth is a stand out moment, and you can feel the audience collectively shifting forward in their seat to drink in more of her talent, it is however, with ‘Wasted Life Blues’ that Clarke provides that showstopping moment.
Clive Rowe gives a really beautiful performance as ‘The Man’, and the cast is completed by Joseph Poulton and Aston New, who provide occasional backing vocals, and some very energetic dance routines.
Although you might struggle to pin-point what exactly you have just seen, your almost certainly sure to have enjoyed yourself. Blues in the Night is as much about finding the humour and the optimism in life as it is about ‘singin’ the blues’, and this production manages to find both amongst a set of performances which could become as legendary as the singer/songwriters who inspired it all in the first place.
