The Lady or the Tiger

Here’s Gold

The Lady or the Tiger

by Jeremy Paul, Michael Richmond and Nola York

Take Note Theatre at the Theatre at the Tabard, Chiswick until 23^rd March

Review by Andrew Lawston

Based on an 1882 short story by Frank R. Stockton, The Lady or the Tiger seems an unlikely basis for a musical, at first glance.  In a semi-barbaric kingdom, a hero must choose between two doors.  Behind one is a lady he must marry, behind the other is a ferocious tiger.

The unnamed kingdom may be semi-barbaric, but the Tabard Theatre provides a decidedly civilised venue and a packed house for this revival of Jeremy Paul, Michael Richmond, and Nola York’s musical comedy.  Over the space of two hours, Stockton’s story is expanded into an absurdist fantasy filled with a huge number of songs.  All of the songs are lively, memorable, and few last longer than three minutes, constantly leaving the audience wanting more.

Given the band consists of just Angus Tikka on double bass, and Philip Shute on piano (and also the show’s musical director) with very occasional support from an acoustic guitar, the music is wonderfully diverse, taking in a range of styles, and all four actors get to show their range over the course of the show.  There’s even a little audience participation during Chariot Wheels, which was marvellous fun at a point when we’re a full nine months away from panto season.

Bob Karper’s Prime Minister is the first character we meet – he breaks the fourth wall to tell the audience that he will be playing many characters as well as shifting scenery, but for the most part he is the Prime Minister.  He also comes armed with a whistle that freezes the play’s action, which becomes an inventive plot device later on.  Karper arguably has to show the most versatility throughout the production and is constantly entertaining and surprising in his performance.

The King sets the Prime Minister the task of finding a victim for his new arena, which contains the two doors behind which lie the eponymous lady and tiger.

The King is played by Wayne Smith, a tyrant with a twinkle in his eye and some of the best jokes.  He and The Princess (Georgie Rodgers in a lively performance which really is a game of two halves) visibly enjoy several reprises of the duet Daddy’s Little Girl, which seems to evoke the popular Baby, It’s Cold Outside in places.

Against Rob Miles and Pat McMahon’s bright but sparse set, this small Royal Family’s populace are conspicuous by their absence, but in due course Juan Lobo swaggers on with his guitar as the Hero, or Angelo.  As befits the fairytale tone of the show, he and the Princess quickly fall in love, made more plausible by the easy chemistry between Lobo and Rodgers.

Angelo becomes the King’s minstrel for a while, before the Prime Minister sets him up to be the arena’s victim, and the final choice of the two doors is put before him.  Before the finale, the Princess and the Prime Minister get the fantastic song Here’s Gold, which showcases the show’s musical quality, as well as giving Karper the opportunity to play a succession of instantly entertaining characters.

Keith Strachan directs this quirky show at breakneck speed, and as this is his fourth time directing a production, he’s clearly completely on top of the material.  The absurdist fantasy element is well-reflected in Alice McNicholas’s striking costume designs.

The songs are lively, the lyrics are wonderfully witty, and all four cast members sing them with great gusto and complete clarity, not a word is lost.  The production fills the intimate venue to bursting point, and is a constant delight.  The two acts zip past and the appreciative audience would certainly have relished a third.

The Lady or the Tiger feels like a joyous production, where the cast and crew have had as much fun as the audience.  It’s endlessly entertaining, and my first instinct on leaving the Tabard was to book tickets to see it all over again.

Andrew Lawston, March 2024

Photography by Charles Flint