Review: Next Door’s Baby, Theatre on the Tabard

Review: Next Door’s Baby, Theatre on the Tabard

Living subsequent door to one another are the haves, the Hennessy’s, and the have-nots, the O’Briens, however they’ve much more in frequent than they’d ever be ready to confess. Each family has a younger child, and every harbour darkish secrets and techniques. This is Nineteen Fifties Ireland, a rustic enthralled to the Catholic church and with a degree of oppression, significantly towards younger girls, the place any trace of a scandal would carry disgrace and ostracisation.

Initially Mrs Hennesy (Abigail Williams) and Mrs O’Brien (Jackie Pulford) enter the infants in a Bonny Baby competitors, in no small half to try to put one over on the opposite. The bickering and sly comedy right here is humorous, and the 2 excel all through, none extra so than of their sung duel as they put up entry kinds within the mail. The premise appears to be set for some comedy in regards to the competitors between the 2 girls via their infants, however this fades out quite rapidly. Instead, Next Door’s Baby turns into a musical about the way in which that persons are trapped, by themselves, their households and society’s expectations. Moments about misplaced or deserted desires are sturdy, however total, focus wanders significantly. There are a number of story threads that don’t actually obtain sufficient consideration, whereas the songs really feel principally practical, at occasions even getting in the way in which of the story being informed and the household dynamics.

The staging is easy and efficient, a kitchen for every home, with the O’Brien’s reworking right into a church and even only a small bench. The lighting appears considerably off although. It is overly vivid and harsh and out of sync all through, approaching each upfront of solid motion and in addition having to catch up at different occasions.

The solid are uniformly good, bringing out plenty of enjoyable with excessive power and enthusiasm radiating outwards. Quite a few Irish performers inside within the solid assist easy out occasional accent points; Shaylyn Gibson’s very broad nasally model of a Dublin accent fades away as her singing takes extra centre stage, a lot to the profit for her efficiency. As Orla’s (Amber Deasy) secret is revealed – though the reveal is overly telegraphed and predictable – she will get much more to do within the second half and carries a considerable piece of the emotional core via each her singing and performing. Eldest brother, and man of the home, Dickie (Ben Hannigan) sees his story equally develop via the second half, the place he delivers a superb singing efficiency, significantly when main on “The Glory of Kilburn”. Sheila’s (Hayley-Jo Murphy) devotion to the church with a candy naivety brings plenty of laughs, and as an Irish Dance World Champion, she has fairly a second to indicate her expertise late on.   

A reprise of the strongest, and solely memorable, tune “The Glory of Kilburn” ends with excessive octane, the bodhrán (Irish drum) hanging on the wall lastly will get taken down and put to good use. A giant tune and dance from the total ensemble leaves us with the sensation of a heat get together and a very good, enjoyable, night time out.

Music and lyrics by: Matthew Strachan
Book by: Bernie Gaughan
Directed by: Keith Strachan
Musical Direction by: Beth Jerem
Set Design by: Hazel Owen
Costume Design by: Alice McNicholas
Choreography by: Hayley-Jo Murphy
Produced by: Simon and Sarah Reilly for Take Note Theatre on the Tabard

Next Door’s Baby performs at Theatre on the Tabard till 27 May. Further data and bookings could be discovered right here.