Bonnie & Clyde live at Curve Theatre

“This here's Miss Bonnie Parker. I'm Clyde Barrow. We rob banks”.

The iconic Great Depression criminals Bonnie and Clyde were known for their bank robberies during the 1930s public enemy era before they came to an unceremonious end in Louisiana. Their spree placed them firmly in the American psyche, with public opinion varying wildly from romanticised folk heroes to a pair of dastardly murdering outlaws.

Either way, the duo’s reputation became legendary and this new stage show takes their romance and combines it with music and lyrics from Tony® nominee Frank Wildhorn and Don Black and is excellently directed and choreographed by Nick Winston.

The show won Best New Musical at the WhatsOnStage Awards 2023 and tonight’s performance at Curve Leicester shows why.

Alex James Hatton plays an excellent wise-cracking Clyde, whilst Katie Tonkinson provides a suitable counter with her sassy Bonnie. Both leads’ voices soar throughout, whether they be delivering the up-beat numbers or their sultry duets.

Back in the 1967, the movie classic used the turbulent family life of the infamous couple to explore their crimes. With Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the lead characters, this New Hollywood landmark directed by Arthur Penn swung between the duo’s comic quips and brutal violence.

And providing more than excellent sibling support here is Sam Ferriday as Clyde’s brother Buck, who’s far more likeable that Gene Hackman’s version. And Catherine Tyldesley (Coronation Street) stars as his wife Blanche, who steps into the Oscar winning role with a beautiful voice that built emotion during every song.

The film received Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress (Estelle Parsons) and Best Cinematography (Burnett Guffey) and the show channels a number of the film’s iconic moments including their meet-up, first robbery and their bloody demise.

The show’s narrative however does take a slightly different angle to the movie with the first half focusing on relationship-building before the pair go on the run. This generates great chemistry and, satisfyingly, throws off an expected mild-mannered romance for a big dollop of sex and saucy seduction.

The show also doesn’t shy from exploring the morals of their actions. This culminates in a repenting church sequence with Jaz Ellington’s Preacher rocking the audience with his Luther Vandross-voice belting out a catchy gospel show-stopper.

The well-written songs are tinged with vintage musical styles ranging from 30s big band and hot jazz to blues and country. And together with the great set designs, which use lights for gunshots and projected backgrounds for remarkable scene transitions, the show pulls you into the period throughout.

In the end Bonnie and Clyde differs from the movie but is also a more than fitting companion piece. More of loved-up tale than a shoot-out story, the show veers from the salacious aspects and replaces it with a misguided and fearless romance, anchored by fantastic performances, exceptional voices and superb stage sets.

★★★★

Michael Sales

More info: https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/bonnie-and-clyde/