Alex Wood, WhatsOnStage
★★★★★
“Only a crook could steal a show, and Robert Lindsay was obviously born to play gangster Moonface Martin: his grizzled, goofy comedic boast is a constant crowd-pleaser. Carly Mercedes Dyer (after the successes in Curves The Color Purple and West Side Story) as Moonface’s partner in the crime of Erma also made an outstanding twist. “
“Derek McLane’s set delivers the goods – several decks of the SS Americana, layered like a nautical wedding cake, the stage may not have been wrong for some of the larger ensemble numbers.”
Marianka Swain, The Telegraph
★★★★★
“[Director Kathleen] Marshall has a wickedly talented leading lady in Sutton Foster who won a Tony Award for starring in this production on Broadway 10 years ago. She plays the nightclub singer Reno Sweeney, whose act is a sexy twist on the religious awakening meeting. And at the end of the glowing Blow, Gabriel, Blow, we are all converted and stop the show with thunderous applause, cheers and shouts that even Foster seem to be amazed. “
“A full orchestra under Stephen Ridley gives a lively account of Porter’s score. There are some resonant elements, like gasping celebrity worship and a gloomy backdrop (under the Great Depression for Covid), but this is really escapism at its best!”
Carly Mercedes Dyer and the cast of Anything Goes
© Tristram Kenton
Clive Davies, The Times
★★★★★
“Marshall’s choreography shimmers and sparkles. The track number that closes act one is a breathtaking homage to the golden era of Broadway, played on Derek McLane’s impeccable ocean set. The dashing dress parade by Jon Morrell, the costume designer, adds Zing If I have any concerns, it is that the great band occasionally drowns out Porter’s clever pun and loses some of its momentum in the second after the dazzling pace of the first half. “
“Felicity Kendal adds class as the debutante’s status-conscious mother – a lean 74, she even manages to look good in a life jacket – and Haydn Oakley is excellent as a clumsy English Toff obsessed with American slang.”
Tim Bano, the stage
★★★★★
“Although Sutton Foster is the big draw here, Nicole-Lily Baisden, Carly Mercedes Dyer and Samuel Edwards also shine in Kathleen Marshall’s production of the Cole Porter classic, Chic Comedy. It’s delightful, it’s delicious, etc. “
“Lesser-known faces suit Foster, including Baisden’s unhappy Hope and Edwards’ desperate Billy, whose beautiful, soft voices complement each other perfectly. Edwards is a particular revelation: the only actor who doesn’t steal his scenes magnifies everyone else’s wonderful performances becomes an anchor for the whole show. “
Nick Curtis, evening standard
★★★★
“Marshall’s direction and choreography are extremely polished. Derek McLane’s set offers us a lot of chrome and white lacquered marine steel as well as a splendid Art Deco interior. Costume designer Jon Morrell wraps Foster in gorgeous silk and makes sure everyone, including the sailors, looks fabulous. Giving up is the only option. “
“As a low-league criminal Moonface Martin, Lindsay gives a relaxed, shoulder-rolling, soft shoe-shuffling performance that reminds you of what a stage professional he is. His duet with Foster on the song” Friendship “is a playful pleasure melting sweet major- Stage debut of Nicole-Lily Baisden as vocal Hope and an inversely cheeky, scene-consuming twist of Carly Mercedes Dyer as libidinal gangster minor Erma. She and Samuel Edwards, charming and melodic as Billy Crocker, all went to London’s Arts Ed Drama School. Maybe is there something in the water? “
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