T
he Ladies Who Lunch is the debut production of budding actresses Issy Wroe Wright and Dore Rubinstein. Based on the music by composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, the seamless transition of 16 songs tells a linear narrative about romance, heartache and desire.
Sondheim is known to musical lovers for his wit, inventive lyrics and is considered the ‘God of Musical Theatre’.
The Battersea Barge is literally a barge on the River Thames; you’re led down a flight of stairs into a venue which, from the outside, is very difficult to imagine as building work dominates that part of the river, from Vauxhall Bridge to Battersea Power Station.
The Barge is the ideal venue for The Ladies Who Lunch as the actors can move around the audience mid-song with ease, a technique which adds authenticity to the performance.
Despite the subtle audience involvement, The Ladies Who Lunch retains a quality that’s lacking in many productions over the winter period, appearing to strike a perfect balance between the communication of serious themes whilst keeping it light-hearted and fun.
From the first song, You Could Drive A Person Crazy, sang by the entire company, to the song from which the show takes its name, the cast display their remarkable vocal power and ability to portray a story without a script or dialogue. The songs interweave brilliantly to make the narrative fast and fluid.
In a tiny venue, at full capacity on the day of review, The Ladies who Lunch is an evocative production giving the audience the perfect opportunity to see the young cast’s tremendous skill for storytelling on the stage. For anybody wishing to see something uplifting, meaningful and avoiding pantomime frivolity in the build up to Christmas, The Ladies who Lunch at the Battersea Barge is ideal.
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Artefact offers you a peek of the show:
Photography by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox