The Beggar's Opera

PLAY REVIEW: THE BEGGAR’S OPERA at York Theatre Royal.

Magnificent. Tremendous. Incredible. Even such grandiose words can only go so far towards adequately describing Belt Up’s latest creation. This show is something else; a frantically crazed, panto-esque musical injected with incisive political satire, hilarious comic sketches and witty improvisation. Nowhere else will you see the Iron Lady majestically cavorting on stage as brothel owner Madame Snatchers to strains of “Rule Mrs Thatcher, Mrs Thatcher Rules the Waves…”

Belt Up’s The Beggar’s Opera is a masterpiece of popular entertainment, but still manages to be clever and complex. There are so many layers here, forming a kind of patchwork quilt of a show which flickers between satirising the contemporary political climate, tearing apart the Thatcher years, and referring back to Gay’s original (if only through the outline plot). Having said that, Belt Up’s performance does continue John Gay’s controversial approach; equally shocking to contemporaries, the original is often credited with initiating the musical theatre genre.

I particularly enjoyed the satirising of the coalition government, with Cameron and Osbourne simpering around “Mumsy”, telling tales of their cruelty to the friendless “Nicky” Clegg. And I would be surprised to find anyone not won over by the humour of songs like the incredible political-correctness rap, “He’s a gypsy…” The audience interaction was fantastic, with Belt Up pulling lots of the audience up onto the stage for an exuberant final number.

I have rarely had a more enjoyable evening at the theatre. This is quite an admission coming from someone who has an intense dislike of pantomime and musicals, but there was something powerfully intoxicating about The Beggar’s Opera, as if they had pumped the auditorium with airbourne jollity. It was quite impossible to sit through that performance and to remain indifferent as trombone players and members of the cast erupted into song from their peppered positions in the auditorium. I cannot wait to see more from Belt Up, a company which I hope has the potential to do great things for the future of theatre.