Theatre review: Once On This Island

After last year’s Bring It On, youth musical theatre company the British Theatre Academy returns for a second summer season at Southwark Playhouse, the centrepiece a revival of Lynn Ahrens (book and lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty’s (music) 1990 fable Once on This Island. Taking its themes (very loosely) from The Little Mermaid and applying them to a story about the legacy of colonialism, it’s set on an island in the French Antilles divided starkly along both geographical and racial lines – there are the black “peasants,” and the white “grands hommes,” descendants of the French colonisers. Orphan Ti Moune (Chrissie Bhima) is discovered in a tree after a tropical storm and rescued by peasants. When she grows up and witnesses a car crash, she believes that the reason she was saved from the storm as a child is so that she can in turn save the driver’s life.

Nursing the grand homme Daniel (Sam Tutty) back to life she falls in love with him, to the extent that she makes a deal with the gods of Death (Martin Cush) and Love (Aviva Tulley) – her life for his, but she can delay her own death for as long as he loves her back.

The framing device is of an impromptu story told to comfort a child in a storm, and Simon Wells’ design uses rubbish to suggest this makeshift kind of storytelling – I particularly liked how the Water God’s (Kyle Birch) headdress is made of old plastic water bottles. The traverse set plays to the strengths of director/choreographer Lee Proud’s production which is built largely around big dance numbers – the young cast are certainly capable of providing spectacle with their unflagging enthusiasm and energy. Once on This Island proves a pretty canny choice for showcasing the talents of a youth company as most of the songs are ensemble numbers – although there’s a couple of chances for individuals to shine, like Jonathan Chen’s likeable Earth Goddess in “Mama Will Provide,” while Bhima’s solos showcase a downright spectacular voice that I wouldn’t be surprised to hear again soon in professional productions.

While a cast enjoying themselves tends to be infectious, and this one seem to be having the time of their lives, it does mean that the carnival-like elements of the show completely overshadow the darker side: This is after all a story about institutional prejudice, where the shadow of death is ever-present in a literal way. But if there’s a bit of depth missing it’s hard not to be drawn into the fun of it as Flaherty and Ahrens’ calypso-tinged songs stand up and provide plenty of big moments. And if the cast’s inexperience shows in the way they don’t tap into their characters’ darkness - the story’s events are sometimes at odds with the way they’re presented – they also show potential, with Bhima’s voice in particular showcased.

Once on This Island by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy, is booking until the 31st of August at Southwark Playhouse’s Large Theatre.

Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes straight through.

Photo credit: Eliza Wilmot.