‘LOVE GODDESS The Rita Hayworth Musical’ at The Cockpit is a present with admirable intentions and finally, a loving tribute to Rita Hayworth, one of many formidable stars of the Hollywood golden age. The ardour and heartfelt for her story are undeniably current within the solid of 5 multi-disciplined performers, however, sadly, it fails to push any boundaries to make this something greater than a lightweight retelling of the starlet’s life.
Making probably the most of The Cockpit’s, theatre within the spherical, arrange, the set is minimal as is the usage of props and costumes. This is among the present’s extra satisfying parts. By disposing of an over-saturated design, the present opens the door for moments of uncooked storytelling inside a normal musical context. This is especially utilised in early scenes between a younger Rita and her mom that are tenderly dealt with by Kingsley-Smith and Quinn.However, an excessive amount of of the writing lacks any actual poignancy and the improvement of the plethora of characters current all through Hayworth’s life stays considerably two-dimensional for this concept to go very far. The viewers isn’t fairly allowed into the true extent of the ache Hayworth skilled as a sufferer of abuse, misogamy and sickness. Inconsistent accents and little differentiation from one character to the following when performed by the identical actor, additionally made the general plot considerably complicated to observe. The dance numbers choreographed by Jacqui Jameson are technically proficient with Kingsley-Smith, once more, giving a efficiency full of heat and keenness and Simon discovering his ft as Fred Astaire. However, the musical rating is lower than memorable.
As far as a nostalgic, gentle contact homage to one of many world’s most interesting film stars goes, Love Goddess will offer you a beautiful nights leisure, nonetheless, it’s dated in its method and with a view to discover a place within the difficult London theatre local weather, will must be braver when coping with the more difficult moments of Hayworth’s life. “Why tell this story?” is what I used to be left considering. As a fan of Hayworth, I selected to evaluate this present with nice anticipation, nonetheless, I left with no new perception into her life.Review by Stephanie Osztreicher
Rating: ★★