Composer: Abey Bradbury
Director: Conor Dye
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Humorously Historical”
3.5 / 5
Julie d’Aubigny – infamous bisexual French teenager in the 17th century known for her swordswoman skills and operatic vocals, while not forgetting the notable time she shagged a nun and set fire to a convent.
For any non-history buffs, Julie d’Aubigny’s tale is probably a totally new one, which considering the sheer amount of intensity in her life makes it a surprise she isn’t more of a well-known name. Writer, composer and performer Abey Bradbury brings Julie’s story to life in the form of a musical, taking the audience down a humorously historical glimpse into the past as we get to know the life, losses and lots of loves of this wildly entertaining woman. Sam Kearney-Edwardes takes the helm as Julie, dismissing a traditional introduction and instead jumping straight into the storyline. Her high-profile marriage, exile from Paris after an illegal duel, joining the opera, seducing a nun and being put on trial for arson – and at this point, she was only 17! Her life story is told impeccably by the talented cast who all clearly enjoy performing (and are very good at it too.)
The first half is fantastic – a strong score that flows naturally through each scene, entertaining yet educational dialogue, wonderful performances from the four strong cast members and the outrageously unbelievable (yet true!) storyline has the audience completely and utterly enthralled. The second half in comparison unfortunately misses the mark quite a lot – losing a lot of the originally perfect pacing and instead seemingly trying to cram as much in as possible, without tightening the content as much as the initial act. The last 30minutes or so especially, drags quite a lot and feels very unpolished, so would definitely benefit from a slight edit to keep the punchiness from the first half apparent the whole way through and help to maintain the snappy pacing, fun songs and sharp dialogue that makes this show a wonderful watch.
Although the entire cast are fabulous, Kearney-Edwardes as Julie is a fantastic casting choice. Their playful, bold, yet almost nonchalant demeanour as Julie really helps to sell the story and bring the wild tales to life. Equally fantastic is Zachary Pang who plays various roles within the show – with expert comedic timing and exaggerated excellence. Each of the cast play a variety of instruments while on stage, Melinda Orengo beautifully playing the cello, while Pang at one point manages to make the spoons wonderfully enjoyable. Bradbury is energetically engaging throughout and clearly takes pride in the show they’ve written – interrupting the interval with a pop quiz on opera songs, to make up for the surprising lack of opera within the show itself.
Julie’s life was massively chaotic, which the show leans into, by making the production equally busy and bold, captivating the audience with their enthusiasm, passion and playful humour on stage. But a shorter (or stronger) second half is desperately needed to keep the messy magic of this show burning as bright as that incident in the convent.
Runs Until 30th June 2024
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