A fantastic time with the Phantom

By Gabe Stewart

Edinburgh Evening Standard, 1999

Phantom got the ecstatic first night applause it deserved- and the loudest cheers were quite rightly for leading lady Deborah Dutcher and Scott Davies as the eponymous spook.

The 32-strong cast gave their all, and everyone backstage also did their bit to ensure this first night was all but glitch-free, as this superbly staged, stunningly performed musical classic made its triumphant return to Edinburgh.

Charles Hart's lyrics and Richard Stilgoe's adaptation of the Gaston Leroux novel tell the story of Christine, the chorus girl who gets her big break when she stands in for an Italian diva who storms out of the Opera Populaire.

Christine wonders if the mysterious muse who has been training her is an Angel of Music sent by her dead father. Although she fears him, she is also strangely drawn to her coach. Will she fall for her phantom friend, or is first love Raoul to win the day?

After a series of ghostly and ghastly goings-on, the Phantom and Christine must weigh up compassion and passion before the musical reaches its conclusion.

The special effects were breathtaking- from the pyrotechnics to the airborne antics of a chandelier; from the Phantom's boat gliding through a misty lake to Raoul's dive off a bridge into the water.

The stage crew deserve praise for faultlessly executing what must be a punishing schedule; ditto the designers for a succession of spectacular sets.

The grand staircase helped make the New Year Masquerade party scene as much a feast for the eyes as the ears. But the devil was also in the smallest detail, such as the subtle clouds flitting across a night sky.

Amazingly, the leads made Andrew Lloyd-Webber's all-too-familiar tunes sounds fresh.

Scott Davies is a flawless Phantom. This challenging role asks him to express all the anguish of a man without the benefit of a face. And although he is only on stage for half the musical, his character must dominate the story.

Putting to one side any discussion on the political incorrectness of fear of deformity, Davies acts the tragic man behind the monster with great sensuality in Phantom of the Opera, while being vulnerable and tender in The Music of the Night. His powerfully expressive voice hits those high notes with an intoxicating purity.

Later, you can almost see the electrical crackle of fury as he barely hisses to Christine: "You try my patience."

The Phantom's concluding refrain from the New Year masquerade- "paper faces on parade"- was devastatingly touching.

As Christine, Deborah Dutcher's astonishing range stretched from tender melting moments to goose bump-giving crescendos.

The supporting cast were superb, and the corps de ballet excellent.

The show is fractionally overlong, and one scene in which at least half a dozen characters were singing over one another was a bit of a mess.

Perhaps the odd phrase lacked perfect diction, and there was a single miniscule boom on someone's microphone.

But this really is nit picking, because in over two hours there is hardly a dull moment (mind, will someone please get some oil onto the castors of those candelabra?)

In short, for a great night out at the opera, they don't come much more spectacular than this. Phantom delivers its promise.

Source:

http://www.deborahdutcher.co.uk/edinburgh_review.htm