Ain’t Too Proud opens on the Prince Edward Theatre after a vastly profitable run on Broadway and throughout America, the story follows the “life and times of the Temptations”, a band that you simply most positively know the music of. The present swept up within the 2019 Tony Awards nominations with a really spectacular 12 nods nonetheless solely took residence one award for Sergio Trujillo’s choreography.
The path and e-book have been simply too much like Jersey Boys, the format was nearly precisely the identical and the general really feel to the present simply felt too shut. What Jersey Boys achieves is a really uncooked narrative with very emotional peaks and pits nonetheless on this present these moments appear to be glossed over and have a comedic portrayal to it which takes us out of the core story and makes us assume its a little bit of enjoyable reasonably than witnessing the struggles the band needed to face. There is little doubt that The Temptations story needs to be shared nonetheless on this format it simply feels slightly false and never as capturing emotionally as Jersey Boys.
There is little doubt in my thoughts that this can be one of many strongest West End casts on the market in the intervening time, with casting by 2023 Olivier Award honouree Pippa Ailion and her workforce that is actually a superb group of performers.
The present’s essential focus is on the early days of the Temptations and main the forged we now have Sifiso Mazibuko as Otis Williams, Cameron Bernard Jones as Melvin Franklin, Kyle Cox as Paul Williams, Tosh Wanogho-Maud as David Ruffin and Mitchell Zhangazha as Eddie Kendricks. All 5 guys actually do an exquisite job at telling the story of the group and it truly is an all-star lineup. Particular point out for Cox, having solely lately left drama college he clearly has a giant future as a number one man. A point out should additionally go to Holly Liburd who gave us a fantastic efficiency as Diana Ross, while it got here and went awfully rapidly it was actually lovely. And additionally Posi Morakinyo as Dennis Edwards, a band member who joins afterward within the present. He gave an exquisite efficiency and he’s positively a performer with excellent potential for a brilliant future in theatre.
Whilst the Tony Award-winning choreography by Sergio Trujillo actually did give us all the pieces we wished and extra, the path by Des McAnuff didn’t give us something new or contemporary. Many audiences coming to see this present would have already seen Jersey Boys, maybe within the very theatre Ain’t Too Proud is taking part in at, and it’s nearly an identical. It’s a disgrace this story couldn’t be instructed in a contemporary approach with progressive vitality that has by no means been completed earlier than.
However, as a theatre critic it’s my job to level out the issues in a present however there isn’t any denying I had a bloody good time, and that’s what we’d like most proper now, isn’t it?! Ain’t Too Proud offers us toe-tapping numbers from the very best expertise London might probably supply and there’s completely little doubt you’ll have a rattling good time watching this present.
Review by Mark Swale
Rating: ★★★★
Seat: J17 | Price of Ticket: £125