She Loves Me review, Minerva, Chichester

Stephen Mear is a top choreographer.  Anyone who saw his Hello Dolly at Regent's Park a couple of years back will never forget the moving train and the tray dances.  With She Loves Me premiering at Chichester's tiny Minerva Theatre, he's taken on the Director's job too. It's not hard to get things right when you're gifted with great tunes, a small but clever set and a story that's a heart-warming riff on a common tale - two people who hate each other falling in love.  Mear pulls it off.

The black and white spinsters show

The one grey area is the casting.  Dianne Pilkington screeches on the top notes and feels too mature to be the foolish Amalia. Her anonymous pen-pal sweetheart - Joe McFadden as the officious Georg - is too stiff and stuffy. How on earth did these two get work on the counters at the local parfumier when there's an absolute star - the irresistible Annette McLaughlin as Ilona - working the till just feet away, and able to sing like an angel?  

That said, She Loves Me is highly entertaining, the theatrical equivalent of comfort food - each song a piece of chocolate for the soul.  There are two really glorious ensemble dance pieces, and my teen companions thought it one of the best new musicals they'd seen.

In conclusion: A small musical packing a big punch.  It's not perfect by any means, but it's perfectly good and that's good enough. 

References

She Loves Me Wiki information

Lynne Gardner in The Guardian

Booking at Chichester