Moulin Rouge! The Musical paints the town red, bringing a glittering Parisian party to Theatre Royal Plymouth. The Lyric was full last night for this highly anticipated production and we could not contain our excitement. Thank you to Theatre Royal Plymouth for inviting us to their PR event.
Now, whether you’re a fan of the big-screen version or have never seen it before, this show is well worth seeing for the costumes, set, and choreography alone. It’s a no-expense-spared affair filled with decades of top hits and skilful mash-ups, high-energy choreography, breathtaking vocals, and costumes that will make you ‘free your lady Marmalade’. This musical is essentially a mixtape to a rather tragic story that’s also filled with humour and tender moments that will melt your heart.
We meet Christian, a young writer who heads to Paris in search of inspiration. He falls head over heels with Satine, the beautiful and incredibly talented courtesan performing at the Moulin Rouge. Their love is not meant to be, as she is promised to a wealthy duke to save the famous cabaret from its financial demise. The love triangle delivers plenty of thrills, moments of pure love, desire, rivalry, and heartbreak—which, mixed with the perfectly matched jukebox hits, made my hand reach for the tissues more times than I anticipated.
Now, I am fully aware that for some die-hard movie version fans, the song swaps may have been a little controversial—personally, I loved them and some of them created my favourite moments. The way some of the famous pop hits were adapted to make you really hear the message was masterful and fitted the storyline like a glove. I particularly loved the slower version of Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ (which I personally loathe in its original format) performed by Satine, as well as Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ in the absinthe-drinking scene and Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ as the soundtrack to the memorable backstage romance dance act.
We loved every single second of this show! The world-class cast were so insanely talented it’s simply impossible for me to pick a favourite. Each and every single one of them was a triple threat, worthy of attention. Flashing lights, exceptional staging, and incredibly impressive costumes made this production a delicious feast for the eyes.
Hands down, this is the one to go to. Moulin Rouge! The Musical now sits firmly in my top three shows I have ever watched at Theatre Royal Plymouth. I do know I mention it a fair bit in my reviews, but we are incredibly lucky to have productions of this size and quality come to this neck of the woods, so don’t miss it.
Book your seat: https://theatreroyal.com/whats-on/moulin-rouge/
Review by Kamila Bielawska – One Plymouth team member #BestOfPlymouth
