Goodbye Barcelona, Arcola - review

Goodbye Barcelona: Karen Rabinowitz’s production feels too much like the first draft of a show
10 April 2012

Oh, it feels wretched to carp at a piece of theatre because it cares too much but it is useful for art of any kind to keep some distance, however small, between itself and its subject matter.

Judith Johnson (book) and KS Lewkowicz (music and lyrics) haven't done this with their new musical about the International Brigades fighting the fascists in the Spanish Civil War, and the result is an evening of passionate idealism that nonetheless lacks vital dramatic friction.

Johnson and Lewkowicz's stated aim is to celebrate the bravery - and keep alive the memory - of the "extraordinary, ordinary people" who went to Spain in the dark days of 1936. Much as we may agree with them, two hours spent hymning this worthy - and doomed - cause is a long time.

There's no counter-argument or sub-plot, just self-sacrifice and identikit politics. So committed is everyone here that even the dewy-eyed young hero's mother, Rebecca, volunteers as a nurse, only to fall in love with an anarchist, Ernesto (John Killoran).

Karen Rabinowitz's production feels too much like the first draft of a show, albeit one with great potential and fine singing. Lewkowicz has a nice way with a stirring anthem and there are some clever inflections of flamenco and guitar in the music. Yet too many scenes are rushed and too much character development is cursory, as if Johnson lacks the confidence to linger anywhere.

Ken Loach's Land and Freedom this is not.
One minute young Jewish East Ender Sammy (Tom Gill) is fighting nobly in Cable Street, the next he's drinking vino tinto and falling nobly in love in Madrid while his equally noble comrades egg him on.

Mark Meadows provides some interesting shading as a First World War veteran; we could have usefully heard more from him. So, Goodbye Barcelona, but hasta la vista in redrafted form, perhaps?

Until December 23 (020 7503 1646, arcolatheatre.com)

Goodbye Barcelona
Arcola Tent
Ashwin Street, E8 3DL

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