Bonnie & Clyde @ the Arts Theatre London

"Nothing rhymes with Clyde and Bonnie..." and nothing compares to this production about the notorious couple of crime.

Set against the backdrop of a Post-Depression American landscape, Bonnie & Clyde, the musicaldetails the true extent of what people would do for love and money. Fuelled by nothing more than the American Dream and a gun, this infamous crime duo wrecked havoc across the Central United States until their last dance in 1934.

How ’Bout a Dance?

The Arts Theatre London are noted for their West-End productions, SIX and Choir of Man being the most recent events, and Bonnie & Clyde is another feather in their bow for the well-loved musicals. Once you have stepped foot into the venue, you are greeted with a mugshot wall from the McLennan County Jail where you can have your mugshot go down in history alongside Clyde Barrow. A few stairs later and you enter the auditorium where you are greeted with a semi-decaying/aged stage, accompanied with a faded 1930s music which adds a nice touch to the atmosphere building.

The stage and set itself in a way tells the themes of that await, both the characters and the audience alike. The bullet-hole dents in the backdrop portray an unfortunate foreshadowing of the fate of our infamous protagonists. A small vanity setup versus the sink with a shotgun underneath on opposite sides both unifies the set but also separates it, demonstrating the different walks of life these characters come from and yet shows how all the characters in some way or another are connected through the common financial hardships and hope for something that is a little bit better.

Why Not Raise A Little Hell?

There is no better way of describing what the actor’s brought to the stage than this iconic lyric - and this is meant as a compliment!

For the performance I saw, the alternate Clyde (Barney Wilkinson) was Performing. The performances all around were remarkable, but it was the relationships between both castmates and characters that really stole the show. As we know, Bonnie and Clyde were fuelled by the lust they had for each other, amongst other things, and the connection that Frances Mayli McCann (Bonnie) and Wilkinson had really showed another, more softer side to the crime-committing duo.

The journeys this cast took us on were a whole adventure in itself. Having the chance to see the smooth-talking, no-fearing Clyde become a shell of his former self at breaking point at the end Of Act 1 to full on revenge seeking, payback claiming in the midst of Act 2 to finally seeing the acceptance and the vulnerability in his final moments. The same with Bonnie, although both characters had some form of loveable elements to their portrayal, McCann’s evolution of Bonnie Parker seemed to be lined with this innocence and want for her childhood self. Giving the audience more than just two criminals.

A Short and Lovin' Life

Even though this production had a limited run at the Arts, it feels like there is going to be more in store for this production (only time and the producers can tell…). The show itself keeps popping back into the theatre scene, what with a short run on Broadway, then a concert revival here in the UK at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane; then this most recent production. It seems that it will take a lot to finally say goodbye to the Black and Wildhorn musical for good.

Whilst watching I can say that the pacing felt perfect. There were times where it felt like it all just flew by at a pace none of us expected, but then this followed the fast paced nature of Bonnie and Clyde in their quest to flee from the law. Then there were times when we as an audience could relish in the moment of Clyde’s loving words to Bonnie or to accept fate much as our protagonists did.

The American Dream seemed to be quite a prominent theme. Although, at times it did feel like the anti version of it, as in delving into the reality of financial hardships, turning to crime and fleeing not to something better but to just get away from what already was. Ultimately, the American Dream that their younger selves had was still the one that they were chasing until their dying day. Dreams like that will never leave you.

The Final Score

Bonnie and Clyde the musical is a special one. Maybe it was the smaller scale venue or the incredibly talented cast; there was just something about the deliverance across the board that really made this production. From the writers to the production team and the cast it is safe to say that this is not the end for Bonnie and Clyde.