The bare bones of an historical, queer musical, entertainingly presented as a work in progress and ready for its inherent drama to be actively visualised.Rating
Good
The Camden fringe: a place where creative seeds are sown and nurtured. So, it’s quite appropriate that tonight’s show has a theme that considers ‘what’s natural?’ running through it. The topic in question is the timeless existence of queerness and societal gender norms. Firebrand, written by Merilee Ettia and Robbie Hébert, takes place in the historical court of Versailles, but its period setting features the very current topic of gay love.
Firebrand is based on a true story, telling the tale of sword-wielding Julie (Lara Smyth), who finds herself involved in a plot to oust a posse of bandits disrupting the court. Simultaneously, she develops a Sapphic romance with modiste Cecilia (Caitlyn Calfas) and discovers an underground, gay community within the court.
Tonight the show is presented book in hand, as a semi-staged concert that only offers the first act of the piece, which is still in development. It’s the bare bones of the future production, but still has plenty to offer, with some excellent performances from a talented cast and a hint of where the fully realised show might go as the work progresses.
Without full enactment the story naturally feels somewhat under-visualised, but clearly there’ll be a huge jump in dramatic efficacy once the staging is introduced, when the characters and themes can be explored more substantially. Even reading from the book there are both great performances and real potential for exciting swordplay, flamboyance and sequins in several of the roles. Kieran Capaldi as Comte d’Armagnac is a delight, bringing a slick duplicity to his tone that could easily develop nicely into an evil, almost pantoesque villain. Lukas Poischbeg as Phillipe is a confident and capable singer, clearly the one to bring the glamour that uplifts the queer storyline. Meanwhile, Calfas as Cecilia offers a stunning voice as she elegantly emphasises the human vulnerability in the storyline. The team fit well as an ensemble, with tight harmonies and a clear enthusiasm for the piece. Occasional humour is welcome and works effectively to connect the period and contemporary thinking, with ‘a nod and a wink’ comedy just the right side of farce.
Accompanied adeptly by Amy Austen on keyboards, the songs are varied and strongly performed all round, bringing emotional texture to the tale. Occasionally some of the lyrics struggle to scan, but there’s nonetheless clarity to the storytelling, which will only be enhanced as the production is finessed and additional features added.
With relatable themes exploring (found) family, questioning of the ‘natural’ roles of the sexes, and a capacity for some high action scenes, there’s a lot of potential to Firebrand and a strong cast and crew to see it achieved.
Written by Merilee Ettia and Robbie Hébert
Firebrand plays at The Water Rats as part of the Camden Fringe until Wednesday 19 August.
