I've always had a soft spot for Sondheim and I first heard 'Company' back when I was at university. It all seemed so clever, detailed and perceptive. How could anyone fail to be moved by the 'Being Alive' or touched by the clarity of 'Sorry-Grateful'? And seeing those songs brought to life by the impressive cast the Southwark Playhouse have gathered was nothing if not a pleasure.
But - isn't there always a but? - also a bit of a eye-opener. The show isn't perfect. Possibly not even that perceptive. There is a disparate nature to the songs which make them less as a whole than as individual pieces. And finishing both acts with Bobby explaining his state of mind overburdens the first. This is a musical put together by a enormously talented novice, a man who would go on to perfect his art a few years down the line with 'A Little Night Music' and 'Sweeney Todd'.
Rupert Young did his very best as Bobby but the character is difficult to bring to life - as the centre around which the other couples circle, he's a bit of a cypher. His performance was winning though and you could really understand why he might be so popular with everyone. I enjoyed Cassidy Janson as Amy very much - she barely seemed to draw breath during 'Getting Married Today' and Katie Brayben's unbelievably thick April was a comedy master class and brought genuine warmth to 'Barcelona' while Siobhan McCarthy tried to out-Stritch Stritch on 'Ladies Who Lunch'.
The band and direction were excellent and the evening bowled along. The decision to set things in the present day probably didn't quite work. Some of the worries of the couples just seem too set in the late sixties including, ironically, marriage. We may have reached the point where 'Company' has become a period piece.
However, as 'Being Alive' disappears, the final scene is played and the cast take their bows there is no denying that 'Company' is a wonderful piece of theatre just, maybe, not quite as perfect as I thought.
Bill Count: 1
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