A Little Night Music at the Royal Exchange Theatre

Christmas theatre doesn’t have to be all pantomimes and festive cheer. At Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, the seasonal offering is altogether more grown-up, as Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music brings a heady mix of romance, jealousy and spectacularly bad decisions to the stage.

It’s a brilliant choice for the Royal Exchange’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Part of the theatre’s Homecoming season, this new production is directed by Artistic Director Selina Cartmell, with Michelle Gomez taking on the role of Desiree Armfeldt in her musical theatre debut. A pretty impressive show to round off a landmark year.

First performed on Broadway in 1973, A Little Night Music is one of Sondheim’s best-loved musicals. Inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 film Smiles of a Summer Night, it’s a bittersweet comedy about love, longing and the complicated business of getting what you want. Beneath the elegant music and period glamour is a rather messy collection of people, all convinced they know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to romance. Needless to say, they don’t.

Set in 1940s Stockholm, the story centres on Desiree Armfeldt (Gomez), a glamorous actress whose former lover, Fredrik Egerman (Michael D. Xavier), comes back into her life. The trouble is, Fredrik has since married a much younger woman, and Desiree’s romantic situation isn’t exactly straightforward either. Cue jealousy, infidelity, misplaced affection and bruised egos, all accompanied by some of musical theatre’s most celebrated songs.

And Sondheim certainly knows a thing or two about complicated relationships. From the intricate musical exchanges to the aching melancholy of ‘Send in the Clowns’, his songs get right to the heart of what makes people tick. His characters are funny, selfish, vulnerable and frequently ridiculous.

Then there’s the Royal Exchange Theatre’s intimate performance space. Staged in the round for the first time, A Little Night Music promises to bring audiences closer than ever to Sondheim’s romantic entanglements. The Royal Exchange offers very little distance between performer and audience, meaning every awkward encounter, stolen glance and ill-judged declaration of love could take on a whole new significance. There really is nowhere to hide.

There’s a formidable creative team behind the production too. Manchester-born choreographer Arlene Phillips makes her Royal Exchange debut, while designer Francis O’Connor is responsible for the show’s 1940s-inspired setting and costumes. And, alongside Gomez and Xavier, the impressive cast includes Gillian Bevan, Marley Fenton and Courtney Bowman.

For a theatre celebrating 50 years of bold productions, Sondheim feels like an excellent choice. And with this cast and creative team, A Little Night Music looks set to be one of Manchester’s theatrical highlights this Christmas.