Produced by The Avison Brothers
Review by Dominic Corr
Dundee Rep Tickets (October 2024)
Constructing something new from the fables of old is a daunting task, but the Avison Brothers tackle it with tremendous gusto and an impressive repertoire of songs. Their musical re-invention of mythos, a unique and innovative approach, has the potential to soar to great heights outside the Fringe and even explore darker depths.
When the thirteenth child is born to a destitute family, neither the Lord above nor the Devil below are interested in the child. Why would they be special? And in the bickering between the deities – the third being of infinite power, with their finger on the flickering candles of life, takes more of an interest in the child. Death is chosen as the child's Godfather – and in doing so, it bestows a unique power on the child, adapted from stories like The Solider and Death, a gift to see just how close the reaper is to someone's life.
An ambivalent Death, Andrew Lodge relishes the titular role, maniacal but never antagonistic, curious but not without a vicious edge – particularly later into the grim and gothic musical. That's right, a musical. One chock-full of originally created songs that divide themselves between outright bangers (particularly the ending numbers) or more forgettable chorus pieces could do with some fine-tuning, particularly for tighter spaces where the gorgeous score can overpower the lyrics. Lyrics, which, quite often, are suitably gruesome and impactful to the story, complement the score.
The remaining cast swithers between various roles – investing themselves into each one with gusto, forging character and unique ways to play them – particularly Aila Swan, with their accent and dialect work to both comedic and chilling effect. Often paired with Jack Mailer as dual-characters like God and the Devil, the Physician and their sister, a talented double-act at times, but excelling when individuals. As does Iona Wood, who performs their roles with tremendous weight and sincerity as the Mother and Princess character.
Serving as the director and musical director of the piece, Finaly and Jack Avison put their entire being into the show – and this is without question the driving force behind the success of the piece, both as a musical and as a heartfelt performance. Fraser Scott's lighting divides the small space, but again, it could benefit from a bigger performance area to truly come into effect – but it does a brilliant job at showcasing the transitions from the more eternal worlds and the mortal.
However, much of the brilliance and the emitting light come from Jack Avison's musical direction – the backbone of the production in crucial ways. Though the entire cast does well vocally, capturing the tone and language of the songs with rigour, Avison's musical direction affirms that this is a solid musical and one with rhythm and heart in its bones. A live band tucked behind the performers elevates elements of the show; John Wallace's drum work and Avison's presence on the keys and guitar are a their best when they themselves are worked into the show's narrative to great comedic effect.
A rich and creative re-invention of mythos, one as old as time, the narrative and concept as clear and promising – but need a re-structure to aid in the storytelling and passages of time, occasionally taking audiences a few beats to realise we have shifted. Coming to the Dundee Rep later in the year, there's the chance for Godfather Death to hit a blinder of a streak as a bold and engaging musical with a larger stage to enable better movement direction and pacing. For those who crave a bit more of a shadow in their musical theatre, this is precisely what they're looking for: dark and morose, but not without its moments of levity and light.
Review by Dominic Corr (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Editor for Corr Blimey, and a freelance critic for Scottish publications, Dominic has been writing freelance for several established and respected publications such as BBC Radio Scotland, The List, The Skinny, Edinburgh Festival Magazine, The Reviews Hub, In Their Own League, and The Wee Review. As of 2023, he is a member of the Critic's Award for Theatre Scotland (CATS) and a member of the UK Film Critics.
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