Sunday in the Park with George is a work of fiction that imagines the lives of neo-impressionist Georges Seurat and several subjects of his masterpiece Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, then goes on to imagine the influence of Seurat's life and art 100 years later. It is a comedy, an ill-fated romance, a musical, and a study of the creative process and what art gives us. Its blend of whimsy and gravitas takes the audience on quite the journey. When done right, it is at once heartbreaking, hilarious, and thought-provoking. The Victorian season from Watch This does it right.
This production is brought to the stage with a level of attention to detail that would impress Seurat himself. The band sound utterly sublime under the direction of Ned Wright-Smith, while the bold costumes, minimal set, and well-integrated projections give us a strong, interesting aesthetic that supports the cast in telling the story. And it is the cast who bear the brunt of this story-telling responsibility. The lyrics and dialogue are rich with subtext, and the 15-strong cast honour every bit of it, with their nuanced performances of larger-than-life-but-still-believable characters. Each one, in their own way "added a certain humanity to the proceedings". I was surprised to find that the show felt like an ensemble cast, considering most of the musical numbers feature either George or Dot (the socially awkward artist and his lover/muse). The audience have to wait till the end of Act I for a full ensemble number. This is unusual for a musical, but I found it dramatically effective, and thematically appropriate. The elements of Seurat's masterwork are introduced to us bit by bit, piece by piece, and Act I closer Sunday illustrates the coming together of all elements. The musical layers and harmonies reflect this in a way that comes close to a religious experience.
Vidya Makan, as Dot/Marie, has the audience on her side from start to finish; she charms from the moment she steps onstage. The challenging dual role allows her to showcase her impressive vocal versatility; displaying richness, power, and depth of character, all as her singing appears effortless. Not so with her characterisation of Dot, which seemed rather mechanical at first. In my mind the role of Dot is somewhat akin to the flower-selling Eliza Doolittle, while Makan's rendering was more like a ballroom-attending Eliza Doolittle, so I found it a little jarring, but those less familiar with the show embraced Dot whole-heartedly. As Marie, in Act II, we see a very different character, one Makan plays to perfection.
In the title role (sorta) of Georges/George, Nick Simpson-Deeks gives a performance worthy of Broadway, and suited to the intimacy of The Lawler Theatre. In his characters, there is intensity, groundedness, soaring vocals, warmth, and a longing that made my heart ache. In the show's most tender moments, I was brought to tears more than once, as was Simpson-Deeks himself. But the show is also laugh-out-loud funny, and the biggest laughs went to Simpson-Deeks performing a duet between two dogs. That wasn't a typo.
Sunday in the Park with George proves to be as relevant now as it was in 1984, when it opened on Broadway. It has always been a daring show, one that takes risks and encourages the viewer to do the same. Presumably, this is the reason few producers are willing to bring it to life, and why it lacks the same recognition as mega-musicals from the same era. I am so grateful to Watch This for taking a risk and I applaud what they have achieved with this production.
