La Cage aux Folles at the Playhouse Theatre

La Cage aux Folles at the Playhouse Theatre

04 November, 2008
by: SpoonfedMeg

Without having seen La Cage Aux Folles, it is difficult to imagine how an over-the-top portrayal of men in drag can be, as it claims in the program, 'the AIDS-age musical that hit all the right Broadway buttons'. But it's also hard to imagine belting out a power ballad while applying false eyelashes whether you're male or female so colour me impressed on both counts as I settle into the first act of La Cage at the Playhouse Theatre.

The musical follows 48 hours in the life of a cabaret owner, his star performing transvestite lover, and his recently engaged son who must not allow his conservative future in-laws to discover the truth about his father and 'mother'.

By the end of the first act, I am entertained but feel like I'm watching a pantomime of men in drag rather than characters that truly want to dress as women. There's nothing wrong with this and the cabaret acts with the flexible male ensemble are certainly visually engaging.  However Denis Lawson as cabaret owner Georges plays a cool, understated character that seems almost jarring when compared to his flamboyant lover, Douglas Hodge's Albin, and their overwrought romance ballads slow the act down. Add to that Georges' son is a complete twat, trying to get his 'mother' Albin out of the way when his fiancé's parents visit, and I'm not really getting much of a connection with any of these characters.

But with the beginning of the second act, something changes and suddenly I find myself not only enjoying the performance but loving it.  The double entendres and clever dialogue are enhanced by a bout of physical humour, a style that suits the actors and the story immensely.  The whole audience is laughing as Albin attempts to sit, walk and talk like a Man to play the role of Uncle Albert when the in-laws arrive.  With the much needed physical gags, the rest of the play began to feel proportionally as flamboyant as Albin, making his character even more enjoyable to watch and relevant to the overall story.

The musical numbers pick up in pace and activity as well.  Every number seems to involve the whole company spinning around the stage and with the deliciously catchy 'Best of Times,' the entire audience is clapping along.

Folles allowed the characters to develop in a very unusual and refreshing way for a musical with a message: no one had to change their beliefs to leave happy.  At the end of the day, Georges was still calm and understated; Albin was still a drag queen and the son was still a bit of a twat.  But, as the message in the opening song, 'We Are What We Are,' proclaims, that's just fine.  Absolutely worth a visit, Folles is a feel-good, thoroughly enjoyable performance.


Return to La Cage Aux Folles listing and book tickets. (The show runs until January.)

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Photo credit: Alastair Muir

SpoonfedMeg