The A-Z of Mrs P - Review by Rebecca Wilson

**** (4 Stars)

Southwark Playhouse, London - Tuesday 4 March, 2014

Inspired by the autobiographies of Phyllis Pearsall, this fresh new musical takes the audience on a captivating London tour, all the way from Abbey Road to Zampa Road!

The story follows Mrs P on her adventure starting as an artist in Venice, 1936, and making her way to London, where she embarks on the challenge of a lifetime; to map out the entire of London (with house numbers.) The creative set, designed by Klara Zieglerova, seized my curiosity before I even had the chance to sit down.

With candid performances from the entire cast, this is a great piece of individual and ensemble work with some truly stunning moments. Eminently from Tony-Award winner Frances Ruffelle, who played the chaotic mother bewitchingly. Her journey within the tale gives the performance an edge, keeping the audience engaged.

The overall direction from Olivier Award-nominatied director Sam Buntrock was proposed wonderfully by the cast, with excellent use of the traverse staging adding to the innovation of the piece. The intricate details, witty concepts and dabs of physical theatre made for an eye-pleasing performance throughout.

Although at times the songs could’ve been cut slightly to attain more of a compact impact, the repetition did make them rather catchy. The opening number markedly stood out for me as a swell combination of slick movement along with opulent harmonies immediately engaging me into the performance.

Overall the production is diverse and new with an authentic and classic feeling which will be appreciated by children over the age of 12, along with adults of all ages. So grab a map and put your best foot forward to find out if it’s the right journey for you.

The A-Z of Mrs P is playing at the Southwark Playhouse until March 29. Tickets available here: http://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/index.php/the-large/the-a-z-of-mrs-p/

Photo: Marilyn Kingwill