Theatre Review | Head Over Heels

Conceived by Jeff Whitty                      

Director Ellen Simpson

Music Director Zara Stanton

Choreographer Ryan Gonzalez

Set Designer Josh McIntosh

Costume Designer Brendan de la Hay

Hayes Theatre until March 22

Reviewed by Ron Lee, CSP

In the tradition of recent musicals with a Shakespearean bent, Head Over Heels opened at The Hayes Theatre. The music of The Go-Go's is belted out by the diverse cast of ten and is backed by a five-piece band that sounds much bigger. There's mistaken identity, mistaken intentions, mistaken sex, a sword fight and more than a fair share of androgyny.

The plot was inspired by The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia, a long prose pastoral romance that was written by Sir Philip Sidney in the 16th century.

Pythio, Arcadia’s new oracle, explains that the kingdom has become too rigid and traditional, and gives four prophecies to the king Basilius and his wife, Gynecia. 

"Thy younger daughter will bring a liar to bed. He thou shall forbid, she he'll then assume.”

"Thou elder daughter will consent to wed. She'll consummate her love but with no groom.”

"Thou with thy wife, adult’ry shall commit”

"You will meet and make way for a better king”

The plot becomes thicker and thicker.

The band doesn’t hold back, smashing the music into the back wall and through the roof, and driving the action forward through the twenty musical numbers.

The Shakespearean-style dialogue is thankfully not delivered in pseudo-classical brogues but in the actors’ natural voices. At one point early on, here’s obvious acknowledgment and even celebration of the iambic pentameter.

There are shadow sex scenes that are reminiscent of The Rocky Horror Show.

Each member of the diverse cast keeps the production buoyant with their exceptional singing voices and sheer enthusiasm.

Basilius (Thomas  Campbell) and Gynecia (J Ridler) initially provide a degree of gravitas and their surprising sexual encounter rapidly advances the plot.

Philoclea (Jenni Little) is the ingénue who finds her own power.

Pamela (Lucy Lalor) is her beautiful, vain sister who is used to being the centre of attention but other relationships pull focus.

As Musidorus, Adam Noviello, has the vibe of Queen drummer Roger Taylor in the music video, I Want To Break Free.

Other cast members are Minerva Khodabande as Mopsa, Gaz Dutlow as Pythio, Nancy Denis as Dametus, Alana Iannace, and Ellen Ebbs.

Head Overs Heels is a fast-paced, feel-good production, and the music almost compels you to get up to dance.