A Face in the Crowd, Young Vic review: a scathing morality tale for our strident Trumpian era
Given his liberal politics, his penchant for songs and our proximity to the US presidential election in November, it is perhaps unsurprising that Kwame Kwei-Armah’s choice of farewell production to mark the end of his seven-year tenure as Artistic Director of the Young Vic should be a timely musical about the manifold dangers of demagoguery and the flagrant abuse of power in the media age.
With music and lyrics by prolific singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and book by Sarah Ruhl, based on the 1957 film of the same name by Budd Schulberg, A Face in the Crowd is a modern morality tale for our strident, Trumpian era, where those who pride themselves on “telling it like it is” and “speaking truth to power” enjoy disproportionate success, wealth and gargantuan influence.
Anoushka Lucas is mesmerising as small-town American radio producer Marcia Jeffries, whose “A Face in the Crowd” radio show, with a nod to the social anthropology of broadcasting legend Studs Terkel, aims to give a platform to “real people”. Her chance discovery of an itinerant drifter in a rural Arkansas jail whom she christens Lonesome Rhodes, and whom she duly propels to radio and TV stardom, first in Chicago, then New York, is a cautionary narrative that deftly exposes the intrinsically parasitic and Faustian nature of the media, as well as the relentless cupidity of the fame machine.
West End and Broadway stalwart Ramin Karimloo, exuding a rugged, hobo masculinity, excels as Lonesome Rhodes, a man whose Demosthenic sophistry, charismatic delivery and peerless ability to connect with rural America leads to overnight celebrity and concomitant riches, but then swiftly degenerates into colossal self-delusion, mental instability and implosion with xenophobic rants when he strays from his lane and toys with running for political office.
Highlighting the thin, often porous line between entertainment and politics, the musical exposes the dark underbelly of the American dream and lucidly illustrates Lord Acton’s famous dictum that “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”.
With clear, overtly Trumpian echoes, the production is painfully topical and smacks of contemporary relevance. With its scathing takedown of Republican values – “blood and hot sauce” – and merciless depiction of the American people’s ovine instincts, it is both polished and vivacious. But at times it lacks psychological profundity and a clear moral message, except that firebrands like Trump are dangerous and exceedingly bad news.
Despite the somewhat formulaic and predictable trajectory of Rhodes and Jeffries’s personal and professional relationship, coupled with a slightly uneven second half, the protagonists’ ensuing descent and the play’s denouement are nonetheless both emotionally powerful.
Stavros Demetraki is strong as oleaginous, morally repugnant TV agent Joey De Palma and Sadie-Jean Shirley in the Ensemble is clearly a star in the making – lithe, alluring and utterly captivating.
Directed with brio and crowd-pleasing indulgence by Kwei-Armah, his valedictory production is full of effervescent, foot-tapping numbers and rousing ballads, anchored by the impressive vocal ranges of the main actors and well served by Anna Fleischle’s expansive, skilfully rendered set design.
Fully paid-up members of the Kwame fan club – those who genuflect before the messianic, African-robed, demigod director – will doubtless adore this show. Others might see it more as a safe, solid dismount. Either way, it is a thoroughly entertaining, very well acted and slickly choreographed production with commanding, if not stellar, lead performances.
The irrepressible Kwei-Armah has undoubtedly been an edifying, inspirational and ground-breaking force for good as the first (and sadly hitherto only) Black male to run a major British theatre – an unequivocally laudable achievement. As such, he will be sorely missed, but I am now keen to see what his successor, Nadia Fall, does next.
Until November 9. Tickets: www.youngvic.org
