The concept album has become somewhat a staple of the developmental stages of a new musical, with shows like Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and more recently American Idiot and Hadestown effectively utilising this formula to gauge reactions prior to a fully staged production. This latest exponent of award winning duo Tim Cooper and Susannah Pearse entitled “The Stationmaster”, based on Ödön von Horváth’s prior play “Judgement Day", absolutely exemplifies the medium as a means of storytelling through music and dialogue alone which, given that this is a newly composed score, is really rather exciting.
This story, whilst loosely based on the Horváth work from 1937, sets the scene quite a bit later, in 1955 in a small village in the Lake District, with stationmaster Thomas Price the central protagonist, a man who never forgets his signals until one fateful day, as we are taken through a truly tumultuous series of mishaps that have devastating consequences to all involved. Being able to tell a story effectively without visual aids being present is always a challenge, what Connor and Pearse have managed superbly is balancing strong dialogue and lyrics with a score that perfectly encapsulates the mood and emotions of each scene.
The score, although it doesn’t feature many particularly memorable songs, as a whole serves the text brilliantly and has us fully engaged in the overriding narrative; it has clear influence of Jason Robert Brown and Stephen Schwartz, but with an individual twist that incorporates old English folk, in a wonderfully period and location-appropriate piece of composition that fully has us taken away to post-war Cumbria. The music alone though would make it difficult to grasp onto the narrative, so it was great to hear full dialogue interspersed to contextualise everything.
The more dramatic, intense scenes are excellently orchestrated and performed, but there are also moments of light relief, especially from stalwart Mrs Deakin, portrayed with delightful charm by Nicola Sloane. Other standout performances include Jessica Sherman as Thomas’ wife Catherine, with her gorgeous rendition of “Silent Grief” proving particularly stirring, and the first act number “Anna” magnificently performed by Nigel Richards in the titular role.
Performances across the board are fantastic, including an eight-piece ensemble who combine for some stunning full company numbers, and every member of the principal cast gives their all to their respective roles, with outstanding vocals and acting to behold all around. It should also be highlighted how good the modestly sized but hugely talented orchestra are, a five-piece ensemble, directed by Chris Guard, who masterfully brings Connor’s score to life.
There is plenty here to suggest this could be a success on stage, engaging narrative and themes, terrific individual and collective performances, and a beautifully composed score that tells the story with aplomb. It’s safe to say the bar has been set high for a potential fully staged production, as even without visual cues, Connor and Pearse have brilliantly kept us on the edge of our seats throughout this tragic yet beautiful story.
The Stationmaster is now available to stream on all major digital platforms.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
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