Review of Mack and Mabel at The Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmunds

SILENT movie director Mack Sennett, creator of the Keystone Kops, and his leading lady Mabel Normand, were brought to vivid life by John O’Hannan and Laura Stewart in this ebullient production of the musical, Mack and Mabel.  Stewart and Herman have created a picture-book version of the lives of complex people who had a darker side. There is no more than a cursory acknowledgement of the sex, drink and drugs which damaged the career and reputation of Normand and other stars, notable Fatty Arbuckle This is a ‘boy meets girl’ story, inviting us to believe that Sennett nourished a deeper love for Normand than he ever expressed until ‘the final reel’, not long before her death.

Mack and Mabel went together like oil and water, but the unexpected chemistry, which drew them into a turbulent personal relationship, turned Mabel into a star. She had worked as a model from a young age, although she was not a classic beauty. Her mobile face and forthright charm made her a favourite  with silent movie audiences.Laura Stewart, in her first major role, made a wonderful Mabel.  As Sennett said of Normand:  ‘When she mugged and wiggled, people giggled.’ Swathed in the loose flowing costumes of the period throughout most of the show, she was revealed as a slender Hollywood goddess in a sequined sheath dress at the end. John O’Hannan brought a twinkling charm to the part of Sennett, an arrogant egotist, obsessed with movie making who drove his actors to physical breakdown. O’Hannan is a personable actor with a rich tenor voice who commands the stage.

The substantial orchestra opened the show with a punchy medley of the kind of music that accompanied the silent movies - horror, thriller and lush cinematic romance - and rendered the show tunes magnificently. Choreographer Sian Couture, who also played the part of Lottie, produced splendidly choreographed dance numbers, which were performed with verve by the company. An orchestrated custard pie routine, a Busby Berkley-style bevy of bathing beauties and a Keystone Kops chase sequence were equally well choreographed and delighted the audience.Mack and Mabel is a spectacular show, and a rollicking good night out, sending the audience home on a high note.         

GAYLE WADE Bury Free Press