REview: Sylvia

Photo by Giacomo Ferroni on Unsplash

By Erin Deborah

As self-professed history nerds, my best friend and I excitedly booked to see Kate Prince’s Sylvia. And we weren’t disappointed. The show is equal parts profound, funny and musically ambitious. The stand-out cast sets this show apart, and they delivered the intelligent script and music with grace, smoothness and power. A true gem of a musical.

The polished performance explores the history of women’s suffrage toward the start of the 20th Century. Setting this poignant moment in feminist history to hip-hop, rap, soul and funk music highlights the ongoing feminist plight in the world today, while simultaneously shedding light on the struggles facing women in British history. The show brings to life a period of history oft ignored in today’s socio-political climate, all the while remaining highly entertaining and enjoyable.

Sharon Rose as Sylvia, the daughter of well-known leader of the Suffragettes Emmeline Pankhurst, is confident and yet naive, her girlish tone demonstrating the youth and energy behind the movement. But she pales in comparison to Beverley Knight as Emmeline. While the mother figure’s manipulative tactics and domineering personality is shocking, she nonetheless wows in the complex role. When she performs solos, she is electrifying, and holds the audience in the palm of her hand.

For my best friend and I, though, the highlight of the show was the ingenious and witty feminist wife of Winston Churchill, Clemmie. Played by Verity Blyth and with a voice like honey, the magical performance portrayed the power of this oft-unsung figure within the feminist movement. Scenes with Winston Churchill (Jay Perry), his mother Lady Jennie (Jade Hackett) and Blyth were astounding. Providing politically apt comic relief to what is otherwise a highly charged subject matter, my best friend and I were completely wrapped under the spell of the dynamic drama that was the Churchill family. Bravo.

While at times the show dragged on, with certain songs lasting longer than necessary and being rather repetitive - indeed, some pieces could have been cut altogether with the same effect - it was certainly a fantastic performance. One I would recommend to any theatre fan, feminist, history buff or, well, anyone. 

Sylvia is at the Old Vic, London, until 8 April.