Review: NERO - Southwark Playhouse Elephant (06/11/26)
Bemusing mess of a musical sees Sater and Sheik partnership flimsily fizzle out
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Ancient civilisation has lent itself to performed media for millennia, the often grisly modi operandi of those in charge lending themselves perfectly to the stage and screen, we need only look as far as the Oscar winning film "Gladiator", or closer to home, the musical theatre behemoth "Hadestown" bewitching audiences all over the world. So it is easy for one to consequentially feel a palpable sense of optimism towards the final new work completed by acclaimed musical writing duo Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, best known for the Tony winning musical "Spring Awakening".
Anyone who knows anything about the Roman Empire will likely have heard all about the inherent notoriety and brutality of Nero, known for operating with a generous degree of psychopathy, often depicted as taking great glee in removing from the picture anyone who threatens his position of power, or otherwise stands in the way of him getting what he wants, including his brother and threat to his imperial throne, and his manipulative mother. There was a wonderful opportunity on the table here to create something gripping, chilling or profound, and particularly given the prestige of the duo having developed the work, it was massively disappointing to discover that this the work in question was almost entirely devoid of artistic identity.
This falls largely on the shoulders of director Lindsay Posner, as it is clear that too many different creative choices have been attempted at once, with some, such as Nero's first entrance, with Andrew Barth Feldman bursting onto the scene with rock star swagger, or the mirrored back wall during the second act, proving immensely promising, and make one wish that these had been developed further. On the obverse of this though, there were other elements that are downright baffling, with the costume design in particular, featuring a confusing array of traditional and modern dress, never really feeling like it settles in one camp or the other; are they trying to adhere to historical authenticity, is this a modern retelling, or are they trying to purposely throw us off the scent? None of these questions are ever really answered, which was enormously frustrating.
What certainly didn't help matters was the incorporation of what many would surely class as anachronistic elements for a story about ancient Rome, for instance the inclusion of a gun being fired in a solitary scene then never being seen again, or the thoroughly bewildering finale featuring Nero's wife Octavia and her final stand; this creative confusion makes the story feel sanitised, in a half-hearted halfway house between being stylish and subtle. And whilst the late Duncan Sheik's score does contain some terrifically catchy tunes, especially the swingin', foot tappin' "Double Dip of Darkness", it likewise falls into the trap of trying to do too much, moving through club music, rock, folk/country and jazz among other genres, that gives it a feeling of not really having a true sense of personality or distinctive musical identity.
The main issue with this musical though is Sater's lacklustre book, which takes far too long to settle, is poorly paced, and approaches many potentially compelling relationships with a sense of facetiousness. Additionally, the title character is treated as something of a spoilt teenager, rather than the rhetorically skilled yet brutally unhinged figure we learned about in school; yes we do gain a potent taster of his psyche at points, especially the deep remorse he is historically believed to have experienced as a consequence for his murderous actions, but he is depicted as being neither likeable nor a figure to be feared, rather as a whining kid who's constantly battling to get his own way.
Lead performer Feldman may well be the one who bears the brunt of much of the criticism, however it also feels like he has been somewhat creatively constrained, anyone who knows of his work is well aware that he is a capable performer of terrific ability, his portrayal of the megalomaniacal emperor just lacks punch or intrigue, and quite frankly, more often than not, comes across as fairly nauseating. The major saving grace of this production is the quality of the vocals, with Feldman himself a particular highlight with his soaring tenor range, and the ensemble chorus eliciting shivers aplenty on more than one occasion. Additionally, there were some impressive individual showings, Waylon Jacobs gives a performance of power yet sensitivity as Tigellinus, and Sally Dexter owns that stage every time she features as Nero's mother Agrippina.
We are treated to a deliciously assertive, sultry take on Poppea from Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky, plus it was wonderful to see Nabi Brown's star shining brightly, having only made her professional debut earlier this year, and her reserved but endearing portrayal of Octavia shows she means business, even if limited in stage time. Lamentably though, the overall strength of the company wasn't enough to save this musical from being anything more than the creatively flat, structurally disjointed muddle of elements that is stylistically all over the place. "Nero" is a musical that ultimately never lives up to its enormous potential, instead falling victim to rudderless, disjointed direction, feeling like its been brought to the stage long before it was ready, though who knows whether it can ever really burn brightly without serious revisions.
★★☆☆☆ (2*)
"Nero" runs at Southwark Playhouse Elephant until the 5th of December (tickets)
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