Kerryson seems to have an affinity with the composer and lyricist. In 2021, his ‘A Little Night Music’ was one of the highlights of the Buxton International Festival. His community shows, ‘Sweeney Todd’ (2022) and ‘West Side Story’ (2018) (for which Sondheim wrote the breathtaking lyrics) were great successes.
I would describe ‘Company’ as a musical romcom with depth, wit and attitude. Robert, the central character, is a confirmed bachelor/commitment-phobe aged 35. In a series of vignettes based on social occasions, his friends (five couples) debate with him the benefits and downsides of the marital state. We also see him embark on a series of amorous encounters. I shall not provide a spoiler as to whether he chooses to stop being a singleton.
Ross Clifton plays Robert whilst on other days giving an electrifying performance as Judas in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’. Popular, charming and sociable, Robert is nevertheless on the sidelines of life. That said, he is never off stage: the character holds the musical together and Clifton manages the role with sophistication. His voice seems to be made for Sondheim and it is with intensity that he sings the climactic ‘Being Alive’, where he realises that ‘alone is alone not alive’.
‘Company’ is very much an ensemble piece. The performers are well-cast, act with skill and make their American accents sound natural. Karina Tomlinson (an excellent Audrey in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’) is Amy. As a woman having a total meltdown on her wedding day, she is hilarious. Beth MacDonald as ‘dumb’ air hostess April has a real comedic touch. Catherine Pugh, who shone as Evita, plays rich, cynical Joanne. She delivers the sarcastic ‘The Little Things You Do Together’ and ‘Ladies Who Lunch’ with pizzazz.
There are many laugh-out-loud moments. I enjoyed Katherine Cooke’s and Christopher Sherborne’s performance as a squabbling couple. When she demonstrates her karate moves on her husband, you suspect she would quite like to kill him. Rachel Taft, as strait-laced Jenny, is highly amusing when her husband gets her stoned and encourages her to swear.
Sondheim’s music is quite a challenge for singers, but under Musical Director Richard Atkinson’s guidance, the cast rise to it. I liked the ensemble numbers ‘Company’ and the catchy ‘Side By Side By Side’ as well as Maria Dunford’s solo ‘Another Hundred People’ and the syncopated piece by Robert’s three girlfriends. Choreographer Tracey Iliffe’s slick routines complement the music effectively and the professional orchestra play impressively.
The set is minimalist, conveying the sense of New York; it is an impersonal space which fits the idea of ‘a city of strangers’. ‘Company’ was first performed in 1970. Willow Storey’s costumes reflect the individual characters rather than an era: for example, Joanne wears an expensive-looking, sexy LBD whilst her bad dancer of a husband dresses like Medallion Man.
Sondheim’s work tells us much about dating, marriage and divorce in modern life. Men seem to seek the security of marriage and then feel trapped and crave freedom, as reflected in the song ‘Sorry-Grateful’. He shows us the loneliness of urban life and the difficulty of maintaining relationships in an increasingly depersonalised society.Ultimately, he sees connection as the key to being alive.
‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘Company’ are very different shows. Those actors who appear in both display remarkable versatility. Staging ‘Company’ is an ambitious undertaking and the fourteen performers, together with everyone else involved, carry it off with aplomb.