The Fabulist. Music by Giovanni Paisiello. Book & Lyrics by James P. Farwell. Charing Cross Theatre, Villiers Street, London until 21 September 2024.

2✩✩. Review: William Russell.

“Ab Fab this is not.”

Giovanni Paisiello, court painter to Catherine the Great, composed The Imaginary Astrologer, said to be her favourite opera, and went on to work for Napoleon. He was a major figure in his day composing in total some 93 operas, andinfluenced Mozart, but has become one of those composers whose work is pretty well forgotten. His The Barber of Seville was a huge hit but then along came Rossini and, of course, so did Mozart. The Imaginary Astrologer, according the James Farwell, was a tableau affair which allowed the singers to show off their artistry and on the evidence of this production they do get lots of chances. The music is charming, spirited, very melodious and is performed, in spite of the sound system which does dreadful things to the voices of the leading soprano in particular, with brio by the six strong cast and the orchestra under Samuel Woolf & Varia Doletskaya-Pidgen.The problem, as so often with musicals, lies in the book which is dreadful.

That Mr Farwell had ideas he wanted to explore is one thing, but they really are misguided – the hero is an idiot, his companion an unfunny clown, and the villain anything but menacing. The result is turgid tale set in what purports to be a film studio in Italy in 1929 when Mussolini was controlling what people could say and do and had enlisted the church as guardian of public morality. It tries the patience for most of the time and is saved only in act two when Paisiello provides some splendid arias as problems are resolved and love wins through, Cassandra, a film director, and her sister Clarice, a screenwriter, are making a film about the Trojan War. Their father Count Petronius is a scientist and their uncle Cardinal Bandini Mussolini's man of the cloth who imposes the rules. The girls squabble. Then Julian, an itinerant magician or fabulist, and his friend Puppini turn up looking for work and something to eat They get jobs, Julian falls for Clarice, who reciprocates, while Puppini makes eyes at Cassandra, and the men have to hide from the Cardinal who regards magicians as evil satanists. Work out what follows if you can. Julian does some nice conjuring tricks, Clarice, played by Reka Jonas, in spite of the sound system adding a razor sharp edge to her voice, sings her arias very well indeed, there is a handsome set and some misguided costumes meant to be witty some of which no actor should have been asked to wear. The Fabulist could have been fabulous but Paisiello must surely be turning in his grave at what has been done with his music. Mr Farwell, an expert on cyber war and strategic communication, says Paisiello's music is ideally suited for musical comedy – that may be true but this musical is no laughing matter.

Cast

Constantine Andronikou – Puppini.

Lily De La Haye – Cassandra.

Jack Holton – Julian (Alternate).

Reka Jonas – Clarice.

James Paterson – Count Petronius.

Stuart Pendred – Cardinal Bandini.

Mariemella Phillips – Clarice/Cassandra (Alternate).

Dan Smith – Julian/ Agrofontido.

Creatives

Director – John Walton.

Movement Director – Sean Kempton.

Music Supervisor, Arranger & Orchestraor – Bobby Goulder.

Conductor – Varia Doletskaya-Pidegen.

Conductor – Samuel Woolf.

Production Designer – David Shields.

Illusions Designer – Harry De Cruz.

Lighting Designer – Fridthuofur Thorsteinsson.

Sound Designer – Andrew Johnson.