Sondheim's Old Friends Review - When Content, Talent and Direction Align
This limited run show is a wonderful example of Putting It Together correctly!
Back in May 2022, producer Cameron Mackintosh put together a gala performance of Sondheim’s Old Friends. The show commemorated the passing of one of musical theatre’s most creative, insightful and progressive talents, Stephen Sondheim, and featured a roll call of star names from the West End and Broadway. The event was so popular that Mackintosh decided in true Producer style to give the public what they want and presented a 16 week run of the same show at his own Gielgud Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. Also in true Producer style the cast has been reduced from its original 40 to 20 performers - but what a group of talent this is!
Headlined by Bernadette Peters AND Lea Salonga, Old Friends also features a cast list of performers that would light up any marquee all twinkling lights! The show is a revue of songs from Sondheim shows that Cameron Mackintosh has produced - which raised a great post show discussion with some audience members about why there was nothing from Passion or Assassins. But Hey Mr Producer Cam’s gotta do what he does! Maybe its time for a new Side by Side?
I went to see the Old Friends in December 2023 with London lit up by Festive lights and jam packed full of Christmas shoppers. The original gala performance has been shown on the TV here in the UK and the soundtrack is available on your favourite streaming platform.
In the gala performance there was a sense that a couple of performers were playing their cabaret personas ( Michael Ball?).In this iteration what you get are actors playing roles and benefiting from a run in a show that allows them to develop their performances and really build a character or a moment.
The arts of composition and performance are what truly shine through in this show. The material, even when removed from its original setting, has depth and meaning. There is a journey in each song and a sense that the character singing it has been changed by the experience. Whether that is Jason Pennycooke’s knock out Buddy’s Blues, Janie Dee’s hilarious The Boy From or Clare Burt’s vodka enhanced cynicism in Ladies How Lunch - we are engaged and invested in each emotional arc.


These performances are to admire and aspire to. Sure, when you have this cast there is an expectation of excellence but in Old Friends there is depth in the dramatic direction by Matthew Bourne and Julia McKenzie that makes the whole show a reflection on a unique creative career and a meditation on the human condition. There is a throwback in vocal style to the time between the Ethel Merman blast and today’s mega Mendel belt.
This is perfectly encapsulated in by Bernadette Peters’ devastating Losing My Mind and Bonnie Langford’s heartbreaking I’m Still Here. In the former song there is a wonderful passage that gives the female vocalist a chance to blow the roof off with a cathartic chest voice blast ..”Or were you just being kind…” But Peters resists and keeps this mental anguish personal and the voice soft. As Laurence Olivier once said to Dustin Hoffman “It’s called acting dear” And this is world class acting dear!
Ms Langford’s I’m Still Here is the story of her life. With a version of the lyrics that I hadn't heard before and a performance anchored in the truth of a lengthy showbiz career - we were rooting for Bonnie because we know she is incredible and we know we misjudged her and we know it is time that she takes her place in the pantheon of incredible musical theatre leading ladies. Instead of showing us how big her voice is, Langford showed us how big her heart is, how big her talent is and how she can take a story and use it to break our heart. And then, when the moment was just right, she showed us how big her voice is - this takes the talent to understand material and how to deliver an emotional impact.
This prioritisation of emotion over emoting runs through the show and is an example for all performers (and directors and writers). When you are being truthful to the material and emotionally honest then you will find the moment and the beat to hit that big note - and you won’t need to bend over like you are suffering from gas to demonstrate to the audience what you are doing! When the whole company is performing The Ballad of Sweeney Todd and the sopranos take that wonderful, building and frightening “Sweeney, Sweeney, Sweeney” high harmony there is no physical moves or facial tics to indicate who is bursting their lungs - the emotion of the piece naturally drives the tune and the performance.

The show features a blinding supernova of sheer star power. It doesn’t matter your age, your gender, your sexual identity or even your score on the luvvie scale but when Lea Salonga and Bernadette Peters walk out on stage together you will, quite naturally, let out a little squeal of delight and instinctively clutch at your pearls. Do not be alarmed good theatre going folk because this will be the first of many similar moments during the show.
Musical Director Alfonso Casado Trigo creates a beautiful sound for Old Friends working across a range of styles from Gypsy’s big bold brassiness to Sunday’s wistful and reflective harmonic glory. And as well as the musical styles there is a level of sheer musicality required to switch from supporting Bernadette Peters in an almost spoken Losing My Mind to giving big revs to the Tonight quintet and the power and horror to Sweeney Todd - which from the second row was as powerful as anything I have seen in a theatre.
SWEENEY SIDE BAR - Would Sweeney Todd be a good recommendation as a first show for someone who has never seen a musical before? It has powerful music, incredible characters and enough drama and horror to fill an entire movie franchise. And will London be hosting Josh Groban in Sweeney in 2024? PLEASE MR PRODUCER - I’ M TALKING TO YOU SIR! And if Sweeney comes to London then how about Lea Salonga as Mrs Lovett? Judging by this performance she would be baking the Olivier pie in double quick time!
Sondheim rightly has a reputation for writing great female roles. In Old Friends we also get a handle on how well he understood the male psyche. The testosterone fuelled fear, violence and lust of the working class lads in West Side Story compares with the vengeance fuelled, pre-meditated psychopathy of Sweeney Todd with Jeremy Secomb carrying the weight of the world’s wrongs on his shoulders as he struggles to keep his bloodlust in check. There is the the wide eyed entitlement of the Princes in Agony (hilarious Damian Humbley and Jac Yarrow) and the sophisticated, sophistry of Could I Leave You? which had just the perfect dose of camp in Gavin Lee’s well manicured theatrical hands.
Sondheim’s Old Friends is not a ‘something for everyone’ show in the sense of an old fashioned variety show although there is variety. What you will see in this show is something that you emotionally recognise. There will be a song that talks to you, your life and your experience and it will be performed by an actor or actress who is interested in showing you the song’s meaning rather than how loud or high they can sing. This is the genius of the cast, the creatives and the composer Mr Sondheim.
Sondheim’s Old Friends Runs Until January 6th 2024 at The Gielgud Theatre London




There are other standout moments aside from seeing legendary stars perform legendary material.
Bradley Jaden is freed and uplifted duetting with Bernadette Peters on Hello Little Girl - he looks great, he sings great and he needs a bigger stage.
Bernadette Peters brings a new meaning and nuance to I Know Things now as she has Red inhabiting two different ages - one of innocence and one of knowing
Christine Allado is hotter than a summers day in the Caribbean singing Anita and it is clear that she needs to be opening a new musical.
Joanna Riding’s Not Getting Married Today - a lesson in playing comic desperation without being desperate!
Stephen Mear’s classy and classic choreography
Sunday - The chance to hear this most melodic and harmonic beauty performed live by stellar talent is a dream come true
Discovering younger talent like the wonderful Marley Fenton and Bella Brown as well as young performers who are making steps towards getting established like Harry Apps and Beatrice Penny-Toure’.
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