★★★★
A new gothic musical making its international debut at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Falling In Love With Mr Dellamort promises a highly entertaining hour. The mysterious Mr Dellamort (Robert Tripolino) lives alone in a grand seaside manor. Over the festive period, he invites three guests to stay with him and attend his New Year’s party. But the surprise arrival of uninvited guest Sue Grimshaw (Grace Farrell) throws his meticulously arranged plans into disarray.
Unrequited love and lust are key themes in this quirky musical. Each of the guests fall in love with Mr Dellamort at first sight, despite their very differing personalities. Mina (Natalie Arle-Toyne) is a lawyer who has married and divorced multiple times. Rhonda (Jennie Jacobs) is a drug addict, who reluctantly gives up substances under Mr Dellamort’s strict house rules; and Barry (Chris O’ Mara) is wonderfully confident and camp, and is convinced he will be the one to seduce him. All of them (unsuccessfully but hilariously) try, but none manage.
Only Sue is immune to his charms, much to Mr Dellamort’s annoyance. She winds him up, rearranging the furniture and deliberately breaking his house rules in an attempt to get him to loosen up. Ultimately, Mr Dellamort ends up falling in love with her, confessing his secrets and preparing to give up everything to be with her. Little does he know that Sue has a secret of her own. The cast lead us down a series of twists and turns, delivering a powerful and satisfying story.
The musical features a theremin, played by Cornelius Loy, which is a brilliant addition to the show. Loy never speaks, yet maintains a strong presence within the story. Each movement is precise and elegant, and his gaze is piercing. Mr Dellamort is the only character to acknowledge him, giving knowing looks and nods from time to time. This includes him within the narrative while adding an extra layer of mystery and uneasiness to the overall atmosphere.
The vocals are all very strong, which is no surprise considering the cast’s previous accomplishments. They ring out across the room, accompanied by the theremin. Particular highlights include Tripolino’s opening ballad, which perfectly sets the scene for the musical, and Jacobs’ solo song. Farrell must also be given credit: she has a very wordy song, reminiscent of Barnum’s ‘Museum Song’, that she performs with ease.
Falling In Love With Mr Dellamort is an excellent musical that is packed with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. While there are certainly aspects that can be improved—the second half, for instance, almost solely focuses on Mr Dellamort and Sue, leaving the other interesting characters forgotten about—it has certainly hit the ground running and has a successful future ahead.
Falling In Love With Mr Dellamort was performed at C Arts – C Aquilla as part of Edinburgh Fringe.
Words by Ellen Leslie
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