Reviewer: Daniel Shipman
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Adapted from the film Passione d’Amore, Passion tells the story of a military officer, Giorgio (Dean John-Wilson) who is called to serve and must leave behind his married lover, Clara (Kelly Price). When he arrives at his remote post, he meets the physically unwell and mentally unstable Fosca (Ruthie Henshall). She quickly develops an obsession with him. He is initially uninterested but entertains Fosca for her wellbeing, before falling in love with her and reciprocating her feelings, just before he is forced elsewhere and she dies.
When Henshall takes to the stage for Fosca’s introductory number ‘I Read’, she sets the stage alight
As it begins, this production (directed by Michael Strassen) feels a little basic, with a sparse, impressionistic set. However, when Henshall takes to the stage for Fosca’s introductory number ‘I Read’, she sets the stage alight – I don’t think I’ve ever seen such vocal power in such an intimate setting as Hope Mill. It was a genuinely remarkable thing to watch.
Indeed, the vocal performances are excellent all round, especially in the central trio. Dean John-Wilson makes for a highly watchable Giorgio – an essential characteristic, as he spends almost the entire show on stage.
Unfortunately, for all the vocal dexterity and bombast, the performances just do not ring true in an emotional sense, and you can’t base an entire musical on vocal talent alone. I simply could not get my head around the reasons why Giorgio acted like he did – watching this version, it seems as though a switch just flicks in his head at one point causing him to discard Clara and dote upon Fosca, a woman who he has been generally kind to, but primarily disturbed by up until this point.
The vocal performances are excellent all round, especially in the central trio…
A firmer directorial hand may have helped. Strassen’s influence is missing from much of the production – never more so than in a flashback to Fosca’s past where a couple of the male ensemble need to briefly play female parts. This could have been signalled quite easily with costume alone, but the cast added some unforgivably camp mannerisms played entirely for laughs which just did not sit within the overwhelmingly tragic, sombre tone of the show.
If this had been a concert presentation that purely focused on the music and did away with the staging and the emotion, then it would have been truly stellar. The band deserve plaudits for conjuring such a lush sound from just five musicians. But for a musical which is titled Passion, it was simply lacking heart.
-Daniel Shipman
Passion runs at Hope Mill Theatre until 5 June 2022.