When Midnight Strikes offers a musical treat, albeit one for those who appreciate acerbic songs with a twist of Sondheim and an ability to smash through the thin ice of social nicety. Yet one of the many strengths of this sophisticated new show from the increasingly impressive pairing of Charles Miller and Kevin Hammonds is that the whole thing wouldn’t collapse even if the songs were removed, so well drawn are the characters.
It’s New Year’s Eve 1999 in an upscale New York loft apartment and tempers are fizzing and popping along with the champagne, as the hosts confront their unravelling marriage as well as their guests’ emotional conundrums.
Fenton Gray directs with confidence and the cast is uniformly fine. An enterprising producer would do well to take a closer look.
When Midnight Strikes until 29 September
(finboroughtheatre.co.uk).
When Midnight Strikes
