Directed by Michael Oakley, Franz & Marie is a brand-new musical inspired by Georg Büchner's classic German tragedy ‘Woyzeck'.
The heartbreaking love story turned tragedy follows a devoted soldier broken by a brutal, war-torn world and the mistrust of bad men. Franz Woyzeck, played by Brennock O'Connor, is haunted by nightmares from his time on the front line, and those hallucinations blur his trauma and reality. However, he lives on for two people - his girlfriend, Marie (Jade Oswold), and their baby, Georgie. Enduring a medical experiment to extreme lengths to provide extra money for them both ultimately results in his downfall and the shocking ending of this powerful story.
Comparable in some ways to Romeo and Juliet, this adapted tragedy explores contemporary themes of toxic masculinity, mental health, and PTSD. Some scenes are deeply harrowing, such as in Doctor Simian's (Richard Emerson Gould) experiment. The choreography here (Ben Wright), was well-crafted, with O'Connor adapting to the paranoid, mentally stricken nature of his character, shown in his reactions to the nurses' prodding, his facial expressions, constant body movements, and the transformation of his mental state within his dialogue too. Lighting (Christopher Nairne) and sound (Andrew Johnson and Oscar Cotran) are also used superbly with gunshot sounds, and ringing laughter, taunts, haze, and flash lighting to depict his memories of the war and his deteriorating grasp on reality.
While these scenes are laced with emotion and sensitive, they are also infused with sharp dark humour too. The chaotic probing of the medical students, the sexual innuendos of the soldiers, and the sergeant's swearing and bad language show how these issues are often brushed aside or dealt with humour as coping.
Unlike Buchner's unfinished 1837 text, which focuses primarily on Franz, this production gives Marie a spotlight, not just in its title, but in the story, such as the incident with Drum Major Vag (Matthew Heywood). This allows for a modern feminist spin and adds to the heartbreaking and emotionally intense experience that the musical brings.
This adaptation of this old tale is uniquely reimagined in a twisted world of late 19th-century European Folklore. It was originally commissioned two decades ago by the award-winning Korean company Acom and created by key members of the Kentish underground cult band, The Singing Loins.
Teresa Howard's has adapted that Singing Loins show, with music by Rob Shepherd and Chris Broderick. All the actors play a variety of instruments throughout too, which is a unique way to bring in the Folklore element. All the songs throughout fit into this setting with the Folk-indie style of storytelling through lyrics and the orchestra/band rather than conventional musical theatre arrangements. There are powerful lead performances from O'Connor and Oswald, especially in the second half, that add to the intensity of the narrative.
The set, designed by Bretta Gerecke, also plays into the folklore setting of the story. While simple, with the blanket old-style curtains being used to shift scenes, and wooden crates depicting stalls, beds, and the barracks, the period costumes and props elaborate this setting too. It doesn't feel over the top. Plus, the empty space towards the back of the stage was utilised for the 14-strong musicians (who were also the cast) to have ample room to move on and off the stage.
This thoroughly impressive new musical was entertaining, breathtaking, and thoughtful in its folklore setting, intense themes, and brilliant acting, and I would highly recommend going to see this. I wouldn't be surprised if it transfers to the West End for a longer run in the future.
Franz & Marie is currently playing at Charing Cross Theatre until 14th November 2026. Tickets: here.
Review: Cara-Louise Scott-Lapish Photos: Danny Kaan