Every Summer, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre in Chester hosts a line-up of incredible shows for theatre fans to gather in the heart of the city to enjoy some delicious food, drinks and entertainment under the stars. This year, the three productions that are running alongside each other are The Gangs of New York, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The Gangs of New York, which was initially a book written by Herbert Asbury in 1927 and adapted for film in 2002 by Martin Scorsese, has now been adapted for the stage by Kieran Lynn with direction from John Young and produced by the Storyhouse. The story follows John Morrisey (Oisín Thompson), an ambitious Irish immigrant who rises from being a feared gang leader to a respected politician to achieve the American Dream. Along the way, he becomes romantically involved with Suzie Smith (Yolanda Ovide) and amongst this chaos, together they defy the boundaries set by their feuding families as star-crossed lovers. The cast are truly stellar in this production and hugely contribute to this show's success.
Thompson is instantly charming and likeable in his role as John Morrissey that it makes the audience want to root for him and his want for a better life from the offset. His performance is so passionate and emotional, that it creates a sense of empathy, and audiences can relate to his desperate desire for wanting a better life. Hanora Kamen as Morrisey’s partner in crime, Hellcat Maggie, is an absolute riot. Kamen brings a fierce and stand-off nature to her character and provides many of the comedic moments of the evening, the interactions with the audience being some of the highlight moments of the show. Lucas Button as the Police Officer Lew gives a standout performance as he bears his soul on the stage as we see his inner conflict between fighting for what’s morally right and being trapped in a corrupt situation.
William Poole is extremely powerful as the sinister James Sheldon and his performance is utterly captivating. Ovide steals the audience’s heart with her portrayal of Suzie Smith, and her chemistry with Thompson as star crossed lovers is palpable. Whilst having less stage time, Fernando Wood, Natasha Bain, Tom Benjamin, Lize Poole, Robert Maskell and Jenny Murphy all complete the cast perfectly, and together the cast have created something special.
As part of the Storyhouse Theatre's passion for creating opportunities to inspire and enhance the skills of budding performers, four of the Storyhouse Young Company make their debut in this production - Hannah Rose Curtis, Cai Gruffudd, Francesca Davidson and Harry Peaker. The four do an incredible job that it’s difficult to believe that they do not already have a wealth of experience under their belts already.
Young's direction ensures that the cast make the most of the in the round set up, often walking through the audience and moving to different levels on the tiered seating. Alongside this, audience participation is interwoven throughout the piece, with audience members being invited to get up and dance, or being invited to wave flags and cheer during the elections and fight scenes. Katilin Howard’s fight co-ordination is some of the best we’ve seen in theatre in a while, making the fight scenes look totally realistic and shocking.
As to be expected with outdoor theatre, the lighter evenings meant that Ieuan Reeve’s lighting design was barely noticeable during the first act. However, during the second act when tensions began to rise and the drama came to its climax, Reeve’s design was visually stunning and striking, with red, white and blue spotlights creating the sense of the American dream. Elizabeth Wright’s production design ensured that an array of different props was used during different scenes to enhance and transport the storytelling. Me + Deboe’s musical direction and arrangements create a sense of belonging and community with Irish folksongs, and these songs are performed exquisitely by the actors who double up as musicians, proving their talents in playing a wide range of instruments whilst still acting and singing.
The Gangs of New York is a gripping and exciting story, with a lot of heart and passion. It is a show that has been produced and directed to such a high standard and at the heart of this show is an incredibly talented and passionate cast.
The Gangs of New York runs at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre until 31st August. For more information and tickets, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Mark McNulty
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