Bring your tissues - the story of Malia, an aspiring teenage writer who goes through the process of losing her mum to cancer, is a moving piece of theatre.
The script itself is generally a lot of fun - Eric Holmes certainly gets some brilliantly funny lines just right, though the portrayal of teenagehood feels a little reductive at times (read: the emoji/wrong thread jokes get old fast), and Nat Zegree's uplifting score is fantastic - the vocal arrangements in particular do an awful lot of heavy lifting (kudos to Daniel Edmonds), bringing about rousing emotion in almost every number. The layered duality of the bird story reflecting Malia's internal struggle, combined with the harsh reality of the situation at hand, is a very clever concept and offers a fresh perspective on this difficult topic.
When considering the cast, it must be said that seeing Keala Settle perform live delivers on every level one might hope - she brings effortlessly jaw-dropping vocals, consistently backed by a beautifully emotional acting performance (not always a given with superstar casting such as this). Rising star Robyn Rose-Li is magnificent as Malia - a stunning voice and sincerity in her performance ensures she matches Settle's stage presence throughout, not to mention the pair's electric mother-daughter chemistry! Disappointingly, the characterisation of Paul, Malia's father, feels confused, almost cartoonish; this serves to lessen the impact of the moments where he's present, a real shame as it's such an important aspect of this story.
Max Gill delights the audience as a hysterically over-the-top yet gorgeously grounded Caleb. Maddison Bulleyment is a brilliant Willow, perfectly capturing the fictional character with joyful energy; they work beautifully with Edward Chitticks' Flynn, bouncing off his comedic talents brilliantly. In fact, the entire cast is largely a delight to watch at all times, including Kieran Usher who gives us everything we need from the adorably awkward Derek (his chemistry with Rose-Li is a joy to watch, and we only wish to see more of this sweet pairing).
Though the level of talent within the cast certainly demonstrates its potential and makes for an impressive evening of theatre, the challenge with this show at the moment is largely narrative-based. As it tries to cover an incredibly nuanced and layered journey, we lose a lot of depth that would take this production to new heights. The climactic Act 1 finale is certainly a tear-jerker, but we've hardly had time to see Malia come to terms with her mother's diagnosis and progress to the intensely emotional beat of her death (which, itself, is implied but not made clear enough until we begin Act 2 at the funeral). While the performers generally do an astounding job of sitting in the profoundly difficult moments they are given, the overall story rushes us from one dramatic epiphany to the next, engendering a confusing emotional whiplash, which greatly limits how connected we feel with the characters' journeys. Moreover, whether due to the limited stage size or simply a poor directorial decision, the regular pieces of ensemble choreography (though performed brilliantly) do little but distract from where our focus ought to be - though set in a High School, this isn't Heathers!
Aesthetically, the production is a beautiful display of pastels, with the introduction of monochrome as grief sets in (a little on the nose, but nothing too egregious). Stewart J. Charlesworth's paper-adorned set is a beautiful backdrop to the story; the costumes are lovely, though a little confusing when they give such character to ensemble members who then go on to multirole in the same costume! Not to mention, it would be lovely to see Willow and Flynn look more bird-like - there doesn't seem to be any reason for them to be kitted out in sports gear rather than more feathered garb.
At present, a slightly juvenile show, with huge potential to explore a complicated and devastating story, "Fly More Than You Fall" runs at The Southwark Playhouse (Elephant) until 23rd November.
Review: Penny Lane Photo: Craig Fuller