Brass, by Benjamin. Till, commissioned by the National Youth Music Theatre is a timely telling of the story of the Leeds Pals, a regiment formed from the young men of Yorkshire, who fought and died in the Battle of the Somme in the First World War. The tale also takes in the lives of their womenfolk at home in Leeds, many of whom worked at the Barnbow Munitions Factory, making shells and ammunition for the men on the front line.
In this version of the story, the Pals are all members of the same brass band, with their conductor, Alf, at the helm.
In their absence, Alf's sister, Eliza, gets her Barnbow allies to learn how to play the men's instruments, planning to play for their triumphant return home. The Battle of the Somme had another destiny in mind, however.
The NYMT have put together an astonishingly complex and large-scale production, with a talented cast of 28, and a 22-strong band for this world-premiere production this week at the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds. In a very fine twist of fate, the opening of the show features Sandra Kassman as music hall chanteuse Beatrice de Lille, enticing the men of Leeds to enlist for. Kitchener's army onstage at the City Varieties, in exactly the same spot where the same thing happened in real life, exactly one hundred years ago.
The show is a roller coaster of high emotions, excellently played by this cast of young performers, ranging in age from fifteen to twenty-three, many of whom are exactly the same age as the characters they are portraying. Among the many fine performers, special mention goes to Benjamin Jones (Alf) in strong voice, and an accomplished trumpeter to boot, Laura Barnard, as Eliza, who powers her way through some very difficult songs, Rosie Archer, as Emmie, the Barnbow worker who loses her husband, her baby, and finally her life in a heartbreaking storyline, played entirely without self pity, which only goes to make it even more devastating, and a wonderful comic turn from Robyn McIntyre, as the caustic and sarcastic Tats, who shows a very different side to her character on hearing of the death of her brother Morrie, played with charm by Robin Franklin.
Till's story shifts between the ladies back home and the men on the front with ease, helped by tremendous direction from Sara Kestelman, and Matt Flint's choreography is gritty and visceral.
The score is one of the best that British Musical theatre has offered in a while, with soaring melodies, and catchy tunes that will have you humming them long after you leave the theatre. The song Billy Whistle will be haunting me for a good long while yet!
Brass will have you reaching for your tissues, and the final sequence of the show, where the cast all sing letters to their loved ones before the men go over the top is so powerful, I heard one audience member say she was crying so much she needed nurofen! Brass is playing at the City Varieties until 23rd of August, and is not to be missed!
NG
