Been So Long

Traverse    7 - 30 August @ Various Times    ETT/The Young Vic

This one began life as a play without music, they tell me, and that's a surprise - this production for me was alla bout the music. The band is funky as you like, the three-piece chorus are immaculate and the cast sing superbly.

We see bits of soul, reggae, gospel, R+B, and power ballad. There are some hit singles here. All of which tends to overwhelm the heightened poetry of the script. Great music - great script - but do they belong together? You decide.