Fly More Than You Fall. Book & Lyrics Eric Holmes. Music & Lyrics Nat Zegree. Southwark Playhouse 1 Dante Place, London until 23 November, 2024. 4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

Photo Credit: Craig Fuller.

Fly More Than You Fall. Book & Lyrics Eric Holmes. Music & Lyrics Nat Zegree. Southwark Playhouse the Elephant, 1 Dante Place, 86 Newington Butts, London until  23 November, 2024.

4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

“A musical with wings.”

A musical about how teenager Malia copes with the fact her mother Jennifer is dying from cancer is not quite what one would see as a good night out but this show turns out to be just that, not least because the mother in question is played by Keala Settle, who lights up the stage every time she appears. Having died in Act One Settle  does not appear again until the very end of Act Two when Jennifer  delivers a kind of heavenly blessing on what turns out to be a happy ending as Malia played by Robyn Rose-Li finds that life can  be worth living after all. For people who like sticking up post it notes to the dear departed this is the perfect show and might just have an after life here when this run ends. It will certainly have an after life on stages elsewhere but it is all too easy to say it deserves to be on a West End stage without considering whether there is one on which it can play.    Malia wants to be a writer and has gone to Camp Write A Lotta to pen her opus about atwo birds, Willow and her friend Flynn and their wish to fly to the top of the mountain when she learns her mother has terminal cancer. Her world is upended. The score is full of good songs and the title song is one to remember while quite apart from the leads -  Gavin Cornwall is impressive as a man coping with grief while finding his daughter hard to handle – it offers everyone in the cast a chance to shine. As the birds, while their costumes are peculiar to say the least,  Maddison Bulleyment and  Edward Chitticks, rise to the occasion as do the assorted classmates, not all of whom are friendly, Malia gets to know. It didn't move me in quite the way that the publicity would suggest it should, but this is a very fine production skillfully directed, imaginatively staged, and splendidly performed by the entire cast with a memorable performance from Settle and a career boosting one from Rose-Li. This is undeniably a show with wings and deserves to fly.

Cast

Keala Settle – Jennifer.

Gavin Cornwall – Paul.

Rrobyn Rose-Li – Malia.

Maddison Bulleyment – Willow.

Edward Chitticks – Flynn.

Max Gill – Caleb.

Bessy Ewa, Harry Mallaghan, Sara Bartos, Kieran Usher, Zasha Rabie, Jo Jo Meredith – Ensemble.

Creatives

Director – Christian Durham.

Associate Director – Georgie Rankom.

Movement Director – Heather Douglas.

Musical Director – Liva Needham.

Set & Costume Designer – Stewart J Charlesworth.

Lighting Designer – Jack Weir.

Sound Designer – Sam Vincent.