A sweet Parisian tale of a shy reclusive girl with a wildly outrageous imagination played at the King’s Theatre this wee as part of a successful UK tour. The musical is based on Jean Pierre Jeunet’s 2001 surprise hit film of the same name which earned him two BAFTA awards and five Academy Award Nominations.
The plot sees the beautiful Amelie (Audrey Brisson), stifled as a young girl by a neurotic mother and a hypochondriac father.
Isolated from the world she relied on her wildly outrageous imagination to keep her company and it follows her throughout her adult life. As a grown up she escapes to a new life in Paris, however continued to live a reclusive life, hiding in the shadows of society.
She discovers her calling in life is in engineering acts of kindness to others and secretly delivering their happiness. Along the way she falls head over heels for the equally shy and reclusive Nino (Danny Mac- star of Strictly Come Dancing and Hollyoaks). W
ith both too shy to approach each other in person, can they find their nerve to take a leap of faith for love?
Brisson is by far the star of the show with a beautifully fragile performance of Amelie that captivated the audience from the opening scenes. The chemistry between Brisson and Mac fizzles throughout their cat and mouse chase with Mac proving he has the vocals and acting ability to deliver as a credible stage star. The talented supporting cast paint a vivid and colourful picture of Paris, playing a range of instruments such as cellos, violins and accordions while delivering passionate performances as their characters come to life.
While there are few stand out songs, the melodic folk style tunes blend through to perfectly complement the sweet story. Amelie let’s her imagination run wild with all sorts of fantastical elements including a large talking gnome, a spectacular imaginary performance by Elton John and a singing goldfish. As the audience suspends reality and leaps into Amelie’s world it truly is a beautiful journey.
The intimate two storey set design by Madeline Girling adds touches of the Parisian dream throughout from the bustling Metro station to the quaint, French cafes.
Director Mike Fentiman describes the production as “A strange, foreign, melancholic,philosophical, gentle, elusive world… we hope it reaches out and touches you!”