Paris comes to London, and the legendary Moulin Rouge’s doors are open once more. Let me take you into that historic cabaret club and tell you all about the latest production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
Moulin Rouge! follows Christian, an American immigrant to France who goes to the Moulin Rouge in search of opportunity. When he is there, he discovers the beautiful Satine, the Moulin Rouge’s star performer and instantly falls in love. However, Satine is already pursued by the Duke of Monroth, who is needed by the Moulin Rouge to prevent the cabaret club from closing. Spurred with encouragement from the director Harold Zidler and stuck in an impossible love triangle, Satine & Christian must tread carefully to keep things just the way they are, yet so much better.
The awe begins long before the show starts. The entire auditorium is bathed in red light, taking you into the club instantly. And when you get to your seat, you are greeted with the most phenomenal set I have ever seen. Huge archways, windmill, an elephant. Bird cages, catwalks – this set is as authentic as you could possibly get. There is also a 15-minute pre-show with various ensemble members, which is a lovely touch, and something I haven’t seen in the West End since & Juliet.
When the show begins, it’s an extravaganza! You’re instantly pulled into the life and passion of the Moulin Rouge, with amazing dance numbers & a vocal strength that you get with the classic musicals. The ensemble is amazingly talented, executing stunning performances alongside the main cast, all whilst dressed in beautiful costumes synonymous with classic cabaret. The plot is powerful, but the first act is a lot more exciting & engaging than the second, with the second focusing more on tying up the story, which feels like deceleration from the continuous high power of act 1.
The talent in this cast of Moulin Rouge is phenomenal, led by the stunning Melissa James as Satine. Her charisma playing this role is inspiring, she clearly doesn’t just know her character, she understands Satine entirely. It feels like Satine is a part of her, rather than a role she happens to be playing. All of Satine’s moments on stage are truly captivating and it’s no wonder that all eyes are on her every second, which makes her performance all the more impressive. Joining her in unrivalled stardom is Matt Rixon as Harold Zidler. Zidler’s character is one of loud, extroverted director with a healthy portion of queer energy and Rixon gives that with extras. His performance is larger than life, perfectly matching his character and the personality Rixon breathes into his performance is brilliant.
Moulin Rouge! is fun. A high-energy, musical that is deeply inspiring and a love letter to classic cabaret, mixed with a healthy, jukebox musical-shaped revamp for audiences of today.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Moulin Rouge is currently showing at the Piccadilly Theatre
