Miss Nightingale

I have to admit I that the first time Miss Nightingale appeared for public performance I was not able to make it. It ran in 2011 at the King's Head in the theatre's late night slot which, owing to an even later finishing time I was unable to attend.  There are lots of things to commend this musical for, particularly its adherence to Forties style burlesque, where comedy was a greater element of the entertainment over the striptease. Here composer Matthew Bugg comes into his own with some really great comedy numbers that capture the period and genre beautifully.

This said, the musical runs into problems with structure and narrative. Miss Nightingale, brought to effervescent life by Amber Topaz, is almost sidelined in the second act playing second fiddle to the burgeoning love story between her composer and her manager. The musical Miss Nightingale is stymied by a lack of characters, in a show where so many broad themes - homosexuality, anti-semitism, world war and sexual equality - are being played out. It desperately wants to be a big show and indeed could be with work but currently it looks, sounds and feels like an intimate piece stretched way beyond its capability. 

What amazes me is that this musical is embarking on tour of the UK - and not tiny venues either. Certainly The Wolsey in Ipswich was packed out for press night and from what I can gather, added extra matinees to the run there. Quite frankly, in my opinion this is a musical with potential but at this stage it should still be being workshopped, not embarking on a national tour. If nothing else, Bugg needs to find a way to shave at least 30 minutes off the 2 hour 45 minute running time. 

That musicals aren't written, they are re-written is a well worn theatre cliche but like all cliches, they are usually true.