The Frogs

Southwark Playhouse • 23rd May - 28th June

Few musical comedies can claim to have had their first draft written in 405 B.C., and I’m pretty sure that when Aristophanes initially wrote his comedy back in Ancient Greece, he couldn’t have imagined that it would one day be getting a revival in London at the Southwark Theatre, albeit in a new, ‘freely adapted’ version. Having initially been reworked by Burt Shevelove in 1971, that revival was later itself revived for a run on Broadway in 2004 having been further reworked by Nathan Lane, the accompanying score having also been expanded by Stephen Sondheim.

If you’re already confused then be warned, the timeline encompassed in the plot of The Frogs is just about as vast as that of the shows creation, but if you’re someone that needs their timelines to actually make sense then I’m afraid you’re in for a tough time… because it doesn’t, but it’s important to note that for these reworked versions it was never intended to.

In a nutshell The Frogs features Greek God Dionysos, (Dan Buckley), who must travel to Hades (the land of the dead) in order to bring George Bernard Shaw (Martha Pothen) back to life and back to the earth where, it is hoped, he will write something that will save the world, (keeping up so far?). However, with Dionysos’ pathological fear of frogs, the trip he must undertake with his servant Xanthias (Kevin McHale) could well be over before it begins as they must first cross the river of Styx, a journey that is somewhat inevitably interrupted by the arrival of an army of frogs.   

Any fear that this shows abstractions could potentially lead to utter confusion is for the most part skilfully avoided by the musicals own gloriously tongue-in-cheek sense of itself in a way that has no problem lampooning it’s own ridiculousness, as well as the conventions of traditional theatre. “The time is the present, the place is Ancient Greece”, is the opening explanation of what is to follow, made by Buckley as much for the sake of his characters slave Xanthias as it is for the audience. This doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as installs a revolving door within it so that the sly asides to the audience can keep on coming... and they do! It’s also an introduction that makes it possible for Greek Gods to rub shoulders with the likes of William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw, whilst making references to the likes of Bob Fosse and whipping out smartphones when the mood takes them. “No, it’s not technically the West End”, explains the perfectly cast McHale (best known for his role of Artie Abrams in American TV show, Glee) as he answers his phone out of character in a typical moment of the shows self-mocking style, which on more than one occasion reminded me of a Mel Brookes comedy at its absolute best.

Such one-liners come thick and fast, and the first half effortlessly keeps the audience laughing throughout. Alongside this fast-paced comedy, and the plays historic(ish) setting, there’s even room for an undercurrent of modern-day social commentary through Dionysos’ central mission to save the world from ‘a divided and despairing political climate’ that only art, culture and big ideas can combat… (at which point I found myself uttering a quick ‘Amen to that’ under my breath). At just over 2hrs in duration however, it’s a tall order to try and sustain such a furious barrage of genuinely funny, if logically chaotic material, and with an all too noticeable shift in pace during the second half that uncomfortably jars with the rhythm that had gone before, this does indeed prove to be the case. Neither director Georgie Rankcom or a guest appearance from Drag Race alumni Victoria Scone as Pluto (A role that will be filled by another three special guests as this musicals run continues) manage to paper over the cracks of several unnecessarily elongated scenes, the most notable of which being a showdown between Shaw and Shakespeare, made marginally more palatable by being framed in a daytime TV game show format. Thankfully, this rare miss is offset by plenty of hits, including the quality of an otherwise hilarious script, a solid Sondheim song book and some highly enjoyable performances throughout, most noticeably from the two leads who bounce off each other like an already well-established double act. A special mention should also go to the excellent Carl Patrick who was a delight to watch as both Charon, the captain of the skiff offering transport between the earth and the underworld, and Aeako, a doddery old hadean gatekeeper well past his prime.

The stylish set may have been decidedly simpler than the story it provides a backdrop to, but it is versatile enough to manage a few nice surprises, plus Sam Biondolillo’s impressive lighting more than makes up for the lack of a greater physical set. Whilst there’s no doubt that a few choice cuts could have made this already hilarious musical even sharper, The Frogs is still very entertaining, and dare I say still relevant, which is quite an achievement after 2430 years!

★★★★

The Frogs is on at the Southwark Playhouse Borough until 28th June. Tickets available here

review: Simon J. Webb

photography: Pamela Raith