New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

Tuesday April 1st

Played out in war torn London, Miss Nightingale is a musical foray into forbidden love and personal struggle. This show, directed by Peter Rowe, smoulders with sex appeal. The talented cast give a polished performance. They sing beautifully, dance provocatively, act with passion and play an array of musical instruments.  All have big voices which belong on a big stage.

Matthew Bugg’s enchanting songs are used to narrate and explore the strong story line. Northern singer Maggie Brown (Jill Cardo) and her music partner George Nowodny (Harry Waller) are set up by Sir Frank Worthington-Blythe (Tomm Coles) in his new nightclub as the cabaret act Miss Nightingale.

The stage is decorated with drab wartime colours of brown and grey.  The dialogue is perfectly pitched and studded with references to “splendid” and “sir”. Cardo’s seductive soprano voice and burlesque dancing capture the sultry atmosphere of 1940s musical performances.  Waller’s rich baritone has a soothing quality.  The show pays homage to 1940s stars like Noel Coward and Marlene Dietrich.  George’s emotional ballad  “Meine Liebe Berlin”, with his longing for a Berlin untarnished by the Nazis, echoes the film Cabaret.  Some of the more suggestive songs, like “The Pussy Song” and “The Sausage Song”, are hilarious.  I admire the cast for not giggling while singing such overtly evocative lyrics.

The costumes by Charlotte Armitage and Matthew Bugg are wonderful.  There is something very stylish about a man with great cheekbones wearing a fedora and dressed in a pinstriped suit.

The play also examines darker themes, which add depth and complexity.  Uncertainty and danger lurk behind the glamour.  A forbidden gay love story is introduced very quickly after the play starts.   Pregnancy out of wedlock, lives lost in battle, the liquidation of the ghettos and the Holocaust are all part of the narrative.  George is a Polish gay Jew who flees to London but finds it is not as safe as he hoped.  Maggie’s brother has been killed in the war and Frank is blinded in one eye during battle.  Nasty music agent, Tom Fuller, is played with seedy realism by Adam Langstaff.  His vile antisemitic attack on George chilled my Jewish soul.

The mostly mature Middle England audience tensed up with the sight of two men kissing on stage.  Some may have come expecting a straight nostalgic journey back into 1940s London and were probably unprepared for a gay love story.  The promotional material should make this story line more obvious as this could attract a younger crowd who would relate better to it.  A younger audience might also lift the flat vibe which I could feel from the more traditional seated in the theatre.  The show would also benefit from being shorter.  It went on a little bit too long and therefore lost some of its punchiness and intensity.

This creative musical perfectly showcases 1940s London.  It is an artistic production which sizzles with glamour and sensuality but is not afraid to tackle the hardships of that time.  A great night out at the theatre to experience time travel with a twist.

Karen Harradine

Miss Nightingale is at The New Wolsey until April 3rd