Moulin Rouge! The Musical

MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL IS ONE OF THE BEST NIGHTS AT THE THEATRE YOU WILL EVER HAVE!

A small piece of advice to anyone considering leaving the streets of Manchester to step inside the rich, racy, ridiculously flamboyant world of the Moulin Rouge – before you go in, just stop for a moment and take a few deep breaths – believe me - you’re going to need them! You are not ready for what will unfold as you join this energetic, dynamic and immensely talented cast to embark on an electrifying, exhilarating, emotional, journey in search of truth, beauty, freedom, and, above all, love in the most spectacular celebration of all four.

Just in case anyone out there doesn’t know the plot – this journey follows passionate but impoverished poet Christian (Josh Rose), who arrives to Paris full of idealism, ambition, hope and dreams. He stumbles across a group of bohemians, including Toulouse-Lautrec (Kurt Kansley) and Santiago (Rodrigo Negrini) who are trying to write a show to pitch to the hottest club in Paris, The Moulin Rouge, which is owned by the eccentric Harold Zidler (Cameron Blakely). While there, Christian sees Satine (Verity Thompson), the sparkling diamond of the Moulin Rouge, for the first time as she is lowered down from the ceiling on a swing to perform, literally drenched in diamonds. Unbeknown to most, the Moulin Rouge is on the verge of financial ruin, and Zidler has made a deal with the wealthy, but suitably odious Duke (James Bryers) – in exchange for saving it from ruin, the Duke gets Satine. In a twist of events, Satine mistakes Christan for the Duke in their first meeting but when she realises the error, it’s already too late. They have fallen hopelessly in love and their fate is sealed. The bohemians, Satine and Christian then conspire to produce a new production – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ – which promises to be the most extravagant of the Moulin Rouges offerings to date, bankrolled by the Duke, who still thinks that Satine will be his. Secretly however, the play is an elaborate way for Christian and Satine to hide their forbidden romance in plain sight. But they are playing a dangerous game, and the stakes are high. Tragedy is also closer than any of them could ever imagine, leading to the heartbreaking finale of the performance – a knockout emotional climax which immortalises their love and proves that in the end, the power of love and art is enduring and enshrining the bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom and love.    

It speaks highly of the creative team that so much of this review focuses on them. But really, it has to, because the sensory impact of the production is staggering – how it looks, sounds and feels. Crossing the threshold into the auditorium, you step through a portal into the very heart of the vibrant splendour of 1890’s Montmartre – the Belle Epoque, in its full bohemian glory. It is every bit as exquisite as you’d expect and then some. There are some changes to the set design from the West End incarnation, mostly due to limitations of the environment in the various theatres this World Tour will inhabit. Despite this, the auditorium is resplendent – a veritable feast for the eyes. Ravishing velveteen reds covering every surface? Yes! Intense, in-your-face illuminations everywhere? Absolutely! Massive, gigantic elephant? Of course! A fantastic 3D heart scape sending your eyes deep into the stage is centre to all of this. And right there, rising above this decadent vista are the whirling sails of the infamous windmill. The atmosphere as people arrived to take their seats was already fizzing, with people mesmerised by the visual scene, unable to simply take their seats without first exploring and exclaiming over all of it. I felt the thrill of it too. Whatever happened in the next 2 hours and 45 minutes, I just *knew* I was in for a wonderfully wild, devilishly debauched, outrageously opulent evening.    

The evening fizzes into life with the arrival of Cameron Blakely (Mrs Doubtfire the Musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Something Rotten!, The Addams Family, Les Misérables, Rock of Ages, Mamma Mia!) as Harold Zidler. The familiar finger clicking and deep bass of ‘Lady Marmalade’ instantly raising the hairs on the back of my neck was all it took for me to plunge willingly and completely into the theatrical fabulousness that the entire evening proved to be. For those like me, who may have seen the musical-movie more times than is reasonable (I may or may not know absolutely every word in its entirety!) it’s important to say that this is not simply a straightforward retelling on stage, of the infamous Baz Luhrmann movie, beloved by millions around the world. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about any divergence from the original version – the creative choices made to interpret the story in new ways, to replace and renew some of the musical elements, to even rearrange the plot and characterisations in places. This is a remixed musical mash-up, a reimagining. But it thankfully keeps faithful to the intentions behind the original, honouring its brilliance, while simultaneously injecting new life into it and crafting it into a ‘Moulin Rouge!’ for *this* moment and *this* time. I had to reason with myself that if Luhrmann himself could hand over his beloved ‘Moulin Rouge!’ to a team of trusted creatives to do as they will to it, then I suppose I could also have faith in them to not take away anything of this most beloved masterpiece. And, as I alluded to earlier, I need to focus so much of this review on that creative team because while the performers are front and centre of this production – it simply wouldn’t be what it is without the exceptionally gifted creatives who have built this incredible experience and who, between them, secured a well-deserved 8 Tony Awards.  

Luhrmann chose to hand over the artistic reimagination of his work to director Alex Timbers, a two-time Tony Award-nominated writer and director known for his ground-breaking stagings of the musicals ‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’, Disney’s ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’, David Byrne-Fatboy Slim’s ‘Here Lies Love’, Shakespeare in the Park’s ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ and ‘The Pee-wee Herman Show’, among countless others. I can confirm that he has done a fantastic job with this adaptation. Indeed, Timbers received the ‘Best Director of a Musical’ Award from the Outer Critics Circle for his ‘Moulin Rouge!’, as well as a slew of other accolades such as a Tony Award nomination and a Grammy nomination.   

Choreography for this production is by creative visionary Sonya Tayeh (Romeo and Juliet, The Sign, UP HERE, Rent Live!), Raised on a diet of underground dance in Detroit, this was Tayah’s first Broadway choreography experience, and what an entrance to this space. She’s taken the ‘spectacular, spectacular’ associated with the ‘Moulin Rouge!’ we all know and love and given it a hefty shot of adrenaline and more than a sprinkle of raw, pulsating, powerful excitement. The heat and sheer physical energy of the performance is almost visceral. The dancers don’t just move to the music, they *are* the music and the music is them. They are all over that stages from start to end. The representation of pulsing life and emotions in the movement is phenomenal and the audience *feel* it running through their veins as it heightens, slows, switches up and flings you from one extreme to another. It’s exhausting – in the best possible way. The dancers themselves are exceptional – they never stop and the energy they bring is impressive. It is unquestionably obvious that she would win a Tony Award for her outstanding choreography. I’m not sure there’s any version of this story where that wouldn’t have happened, because it’s extraordinary.

Catherine Zubar has crafted the most exquisite array of costumes I have ever seen on one stage. They are characters in and of themselves. She received a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award Honour for her work on this production, and it is easy to see why as the visual splendour of her garments is unequalled. The costumes are often sensual, sexy, sensationally delivered, but they also feel at times repressive, restrictive, which I think is a clever symbolism of the way in which some of the characters find themselves equally repressed and restricted. There is enough sparkle on show for even a magpie like me to devour and I absolutely loved the corsets, suspenders and sparkling boots. Another shout out must go to the lighting designer Justin Townsend. Also a recipient of a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award Honour of his work, Townsends lighting is beyond stunning and adds massively to the insanely exhilarating feel of the production. The lighting, and the crew that deliver it, work exceptionally hard and the way it contributes to bringing the experience to a whole new level is next level alchemy! It also complements perfectly, the utterly ravishing scenic design of Derek McLane, who has designed over 350 productions for Broadway, Off-Broadway, internationally and for TV.

The design spectacle does a valiant job to keep pace with the other huge personality of the production – the music. Justin Levine is the man responsible for the absolute behemoth of a soundtrack to this production, which earned him a Grammy award nomination and an Outer Critics Award Honour. Alongside some of the more familiar tracks associated with the original piece, Levine thoroughly bombards our ears with endless mash-up pieces, comprising over 70 songs – all instantly recognisable, expertly blended, weaving seamlessly in and out to create an absolute tour de force of musical arrangement – a jukebox musical unlike anything I have ever experienced. It’s a musical beast, riding the wave between utterly absurd and utterly brilliant! The creative team behind this production give you no respite – there is no mercy for your senses - none. You are bombarded, sensorily assaulted, tossed around the waves of excess from start to finish and you really do feel every inch of the pure hedonism of it! It truly is Spectacular, Spectacular in every sense of the word!  
     

This production is fronted by a very talented cast who work the theatre from start to finish and showcase the best of their abundant talents against the creative brilliance of this piece. Realistically, they had to be good, otherwise they would have easily been consumed and eclipsed by their magnificent surroundings! That they could hold their own against the heavyweight of creative genius enveloping their performances tells you all you need to know.

Verity Thompson’s (Cruel Intentions, Heathers, The Bodyguard, Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends) Satine is the perfect blend of vivacious and vulnerable. Her voice is knock-out good - I’d go as far as to say I haven’t ever heard a better vocal performance in a musical. Understudy Josh Rose (Grease, We Will Rock You, Cinderella) took on the role of Christian in this performance. He brought all the romantic poet idealism and naivety we expect of the character to life, alongside likeability, fun and youthful, boyish charm. His vocals are also superb, especially during ‘Roxanne’ which was incredible. Together they delight us as they fall in love in front of our eyes and take us with us on their short but epic relationship through to its heartbreaking climax. They drag us into their world and take us on a rollercoaster of emotions all the way through. Kurt Kansley (Closer To Heaven, High Society, Pretty Woman, Heathers, Guys and Dolls, Miss Saigon) plays Toulouse-Lautrec alongside Rodrigo Negrini (The Producers, Hairspray, Gypsy, La Cage aux Folles, Cabaret, Wicked) as fellow bohemian Santiago. The two are attempting to write a play when they meet young Christan and, impressed with his musical and wordsmith abilities, recruit him to the cause. The trio make a fantastically fun and likable little group as they work on their masterpiece (not the ‘Spectacular, Spectacular!’ from the film version, but a ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in this version). Kansley is witty and charming as the revolutionary Toulouse, revealing his more vulnerable side at times. Negrini embodies the free-spirited flamboyance of Santiago well, and does a fabulous job of showing us, the audience his passionate side, especially in relation to the beautiful Nini, played by Kahlia Davis (A Chorus Line, 42nd Street, Mamma Mia!, White Christmas).

James Bryers (Sister Act the Musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Matilda the Musical, Dirty Dancing, Jersey Boys) is delightfully dislikable as the Duke of Monroth. This is one character which deviates from the original film version. This Duke is confident, strong, self-assured and has some flair. He’s even a bit likable at times, but only a little bit!  Presiding over the evenings events we have Cameron Blakely’s Harold Zidler. Blakely is a phenomenal Zidler, the ideal blend of charismatic charm, Machiavellian mischief, saucy side lines, and enthusiastic entrepreneur. He’s camp, theatrical and cheeky. But he also gives us the other, softer side of this character – the one for whom the Moulin Rouge is his home and its characters, his dysfunctional family. There are some beautifully touching moments between him and Satine. Not only do you want to party with him, you also want to hug him! The entire cast is brilliant, cohesive and dynamic.     
 

I recall reading somewhere that this production includes 14 sets, over 70 songs, 200 costumes and 30,000 crystals and thinking they must be over exaggerating. Guys – I think they UNDER exaggerated! This is visual, aural, sumptuously emotive splendour at its most sensational! This truly is a splendid behemoth of a production, outrageously ostentatious, pulsing with energy in ever layer and leaves you breathless and smiling from ear to ear. If the response from tonight’s audience is anything to judge from, Moulin Rouge a magnificent crowd-pleaser with more decadence and pizzazz than you can shake a glitter loaded confetti cannon at! If you can’t tell – I loved every single minute of it.     

WE SCORE MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL...

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is on at Palace Theatre, Manchester until Saturday 4th October 2025.

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