– AD | Press Night Tickets | Photos by Pamela Raith Photography –
It’s not often a musical comes round that I haven’t already googled the living daylights out of or know the story inside and out. But honestly, when one does I get so incredibly excited! Watching a beloved story or well-known musical is my happy place, but watching one I have no idea about is even more exciting for me in so many ways.
I’ve seen the movie Amelie many many years ago, but I couldn’t remember a lot about it apart from the fact it was really, really weird. So when press night for Amelie The Musical came round I was intrigued.
I admit, my curiosity got the better of me and I did google the musical trailer but when we sat down in our seats at The Alexandra last night I still had no idea what I was about to watch for the next two hours…and what I did watch completely blew me away.
” Amelie is the story of an astonishing young woman who lives quietly in the world, but loudly in her mind.”
This is probably one of the best ways to describe the plot of this show which feels extremely dreamlike at times as Amelie’s imagination takes hold from her younger years to her adulthood.
Limited in her childhood years by an overprotective and distant parent set, Amelie uses her imagination to create a colourful world full of interesting characters from the people she meets.
One faithful night Amelie finds a hidden box under the floorboards of her Paris apartment and sets off to re-unite it with its owner. Seeing the reaction this act of kindness gives encourages Amelie to perform more secret acts of kindnes for those around her.
On the metro she bumps into a young man by a photobooth and feels an instant connection. But unable to start a simple conversation, will Amelie be able to venture out of her imaginary world into the real one and take a risk on love?
Audrey Brisson who takes on the lead role of Amelie completely blew me away from the moment she walked onto the stage. Audrey completely and utterly embodies every inch of Amelie’s character and didn’t miss a single note of those beautiful melodies. Quirky, aloof yet still passionate and lovably weird, this was one of the best musical performances I’ve seen in long, long time.
A sign of a good musical for me is one that has you humming the songs from the moment you leave the theatre and blasting out the soundtrack for the foreseeable theatre. Amelie did all of that but also had me fighting the urge not to sing along in my seat even though I didn’t even know any of the words!
Playing their instruments on stage, this is one incredibly talented cast and the melodies from every single song were breathtaking – It was an acoustic triumph and I had goosebumps from the very first chorus.
Scene changes were like a ballet dance and there was so much going on throughout you’re spoilt on where to look.
Amelie is heartwarming, quirky, oddly dark in places, witty, and full of love. Beautiful in its weirdness, this underrated show is one not to be missed.
Book Your Tickets Now!
xax