Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
12 April 2025
“Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to witness a story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery, and treachery…”- with an opening line like that, it is no wonder John Kander and Fred Ebb’s “Chicago” brought all the courtroom drama, razzle-dazzle glory, and, of course, murderous wives I had hoped for on its fifth stop of the highly anticipated UK and Ireland tour.
Set against the backdrop of the roaring 20s, the story follows “Roxie Hart” (Janette Manrara), an ambitious and fame-hungry vaudeville dancer who murders her on-the-side lover, Fred Casely. When she lands herself in prison, she meets the once-adored turned-fellow murderess Velma Kelly (Djalenga Scott) as they compete for the attention of a morally challenged yet esteemed lawyer, Billy Flynn (Dan Burton), who will help them avoid the noose that awaits them.
Scott confidently portrays a sly yet elegant Velma. She holds power in each of her footsteps as she slowly struts towards the front of the stage and has the audience at her fingertips- without even singing, you know that Velma (metaphorically) owns the Vaudeville she works at. She manages to capture Velma’s unapologetically cunning and competitive personality but with a gritty edge.
The only criticism I have of Scott, however, is that sometimes she delivers lines without diction. Occasionally, my family and I had trouble understanding what was being said. While I am familiar with the storyline of Chicago, I imagine it would be a struggle to fully understand how the plot unfolds if I did not.
A special shout-out to Dan Burton (Billy Flynn) and Branda Edwards (Mamma Morton) is also in order. Burton brought an unsettling charm to Billy Flynn. Unlike Velma, he doesn’t need to do much in the way of dancing to show his power over people. It was actually impressive that, despite being surrounded by distracting dancers in “All I Care About”, his entrance song, he still managed to light up the stage and have the audience focus on him when all he was doing was standing still and singing. Edwards’s rendition of “When You’re Good To Mama” as Mama Morton showcased her crisp and strong vocals perfectly, which is where she really shines.
The real standout of the show, however, was Janette Manrara’s stunning portrayal of Roxie Hart. It was a delight to watch Manrara’s Roxie develop from a naive, starry-eyed wannabe celebrity to a sly and calculated character as she learns how to manipulate everyone around her to her advantage. Despite this, Manrara still managed to maintain a sense of childlike energy with her Roxie. I later found out she was performing with a cold and running on little sleep- impressive!
From the very start, Roxie is ready to go to great lengths to achieve celebrity status, even if it means being morally ambiguous at best. Chicago boasts themes of public manipulation and self-interest. Throughout the musical, I noticed aspects of the Chicago universe that still mirror today’s society, despite modern society being 105 years later! Creating a scandal that gets people talking, playing the press, and being aware of the power of manipulation—taking out the jazz hands and dance breaks, does it sound familiar?
The costumes and set almost mirror each other. The set is simple: a few chairs, a pair of gloves for “Mister Cellophane,” feathers, and a ladder. It reminded me of the old-style musical theatre sets, where there was more emphasis on telling a story through acting rather than being paired with elaborate sets, not that I don’t love fancy sets (hi, Moulin Rouge!). Still, it was refreshing to see in a modern production. The costumes were, again, simple. Dark, sensual and flirtatious, the costumes embody the “Jazziness” of the show.
The minimalist set allows the house band to take centre stage. Typically, the band is tucked away under the stage, and as a result, I find that they become a little under-appreciated by the audience. However, because of this, I was pleased to see that they got a louder cheer and a few “woo’s” at curtain call than other musicals I’ve seen. The setup also allowed Neil McDonald (the musical director), the orchestra, and the actors to interact with each other, which is something I’ve never seen or even expected in a musical, but it was a funny surprise!
The choreography successfully pays honour to Bob Fosse’s iconic dance style—sharp, minimalist movements packed with attitude—and it’s where the ensemble really shines. Their synchronisation with each other was mesmerising and with seamless energy. I particularly thought the choreography of “We Both Reached For The Gun,” with Billy Flynn using Roxie as a ventriloquist puppet and the ensemble as reporters hungry for a good story, was very, very well executed and clever.
Scandal, grit, and murder. This production of Chicago is timeless and relevant to modern society. Whether you’re a newcomer to musical theatre or a die-hard fan, choosing this musical for your night at the theatre will not disappoint.
Chicago is on tour until 30th August 2025. To buy tickets, click here
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As always, have a lovely day!
