Theatre Review: The Marriage Of Kim K
Looks like this article is a bit old. Be aware that information may have changed since it was published.
An opera which juxtaposes Kim Kardashian’s first and very brief union with Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro is a tempting concept but ultimately becomes a bad car crash of a musical about a sad car crash of a relationship.
Appearing as part of the Arcola Theatre’s Grimeborn season, the musical revolves around Amelia (Amelia Gabriel) and Stephen (Stephen Hyde), a fictional husband and wife who also happen to be a real-life couple. She likes to watch Kim K’s make-up tutorials, he likes to chill to Wolfgang Amadeus’s work and so they fight bitterly over the remote control.
Composed and directed by Hyde, he only took an on-stage role in this show after falling for his leading lady in an early version of the production; decide among yourselves whether this is a noble and romantic gesture or an ego trip gone too far.
The voices of Figaro’s the Count and Countess Almaviva (Nathan Bellis and Emily Burnett respectively) are a world apart from those of the rest of the cast, especially la Kardashian (Yasemin Mireille) and her erstwhile beau Kris Humphries (James Edge).
Leo Mercer’s story is paper-thin, bar from some neat contrasting towards the very end and his lyrics far too tricky — Gabriel is practically spitting out the syllables through some of her more verbose songs. There is live music from the Echo Chamber band but too often it is too loud to make out the singing. Ultimately, this tale of romance is sunk by a serious lack of vocal talent and a script about as nuanced as the antics seen in reality series Love Island. Now, there’s a TV show that would make for an interesting opera…
The Marriage of Kim K, Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, Dalston, E8 3DL. £12-£22. Until 29 July.
Last Updated 04 August 2017
