Review: Fanny (King's Head Theatre)

Review by Sam Waite

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Women, it may shock you to learn, have a long history of being undervalued, perceived as less capable, and having their hard work taken credit for by the more “qualified” but (arguably) less capable men around them. Be it 9 to 5-esque stories of a woman’s shows of skill somehow only bolstering a male superior, or the likes of Zelda Fitzgerald (allegedly) or Colette having their writing published under their husband’s names, recent movements to correct this malignment have had plenty of stories and plenty of figures to re-introduce to the world. Perhaps, then, it isn’t so big a coincidence that two composers overshadowed by their famous brothers have been brought recently to the London stage.

With The Other Palace housing Saving Mozart earlier this year, the stage was set for the Watermill Theatre’s 2024 play Fanny to arrive in the capital, bringing a comedic take on Fanny Mendelssohn’s life and legacy to the King’s Head Theatre. Calum Finlay’s take on Fanny is a bright, quippy young woman whose sole passion in life is composing music alongside her brother Felix, a recent favourite of Queen Victoria. Pushed into a courtship with painter Wilhelm Hensel, Fanny seizes an opportunity to finally be recognised for her own contributions, and enlists the lovestruck Wilhelm on an expedition to present herself as the true genius behind Her Majesty’s favourite piece, all with her mother and siblings in pursuit.

From the off, Finlay’s script establishes that the jokes will come thick and fast, often with little room to breathe. Far from a shortcoming, this abundance of humour allows a solid pace to the proceedings, the oh-so-familiar narrative of the pushed-aside sister zipping by in a frenzy of bantering remarks and amusing mishearings. The plot does become slightly rushed in the second act, where a hilarious but lengthy sequence leaves little time for the story to stroll towards its conclusion, and attempts at more serious moments can jar. When Fanny is faced with lechery and humiliation required of her to continue their endeavour, the moment is palpable and powerful, but feels at odds with the joviality surrounding it.

Best known for her work with Mischief Theatre (of Goes Wrong fame) it’s no surprise that Charlie Russell has a knack for quickfire comedy and is able to keep the audience on-side should anything go wrong. “How embarrassing on a special night!” her Fanny mockingly lamented, as a mishap on press night left her filling time while a broken prop was removed from the stage, before continuing the scene without it and bringing the audience further into the moment with repeated references to the chaos caused. Both her comedic chops and her winning presence make Russell an exceptional leading lady, able to move the audience effectively with the same consistency with which she makes them laugh.

Finlay notes in the show’s programme that this isn’t simply his play, recognising the collaboration required to bring the work to the stage. A change made between the Watermill run (and therefore the published text) and this production at the King’s Head, is that a character named Clara, another young female composer who joins Fanny’s misadventures, has been excised and in her place is Rebecka, Fanny’s more classically feminine younger sister. Having not seen the previous version, I can’t account for what impact the loss of Clara has had on the work, but I can say with absolute certainty that Rebecka is a slow-burning comedic triumph of a part brought to glorious life by Danielle Phillips.

Director Katie-Ann McDonough leans hard into the high-comedy elements, her cast throwing their quips back and forth at breakneck speed, and has helped enormously in shaping frantic, utterly delightful performances such as Phillips’. Also a firm source of comedy and of surprising poignancy within the narrative is youngest brother Paul, played masterfully by Jeremy Lloyd, who finds a truly lovable quality in both Paul’s seeming ineptitude and his clear desperation to please the others. Daniel Abbott and Kim Ismay are also wonderful, striking the difficult duality of duplicity and keeping Fanny under thumb while also clearly caring for and wanting to protect her.

The cast, besides Russell, also multi-role as the various ensemble parts, bringing some fine comedic work across the board, and particularly allowing for some top-notch moments from Lloyd. As secondary protagonist and love-struck painter Wilhelm, Riad Richie has an obvious blast with the character’s penchant for puns, but he also brings a rich, deeply felt sensitivity to the part, his increasing devotion to Fanny utterly apparent. Richie and Russell also share an easy, infectious chemistry on stage, so that whether courting or capering they become that much easier to route for.

Responsible for both the set and costumes, Sophia Pardon dresses the cast attractively and in garb that tells us more than we may think about the characters – from Fanny’s unassuming dress to her mother’s comparative grandiosity, to Paul’s more humdrum clothes next to his elder brother’s elegant suits. The drawing room set is small, simple, but oddly sumptuous, and a clever use of curtains allows for Fanny to quite literally rip apart the life she feels has entrapped her. With movement direction from Phao May and fighting directed by Greg Tannahill, Katie-Ann McDonough uses the space marvellously, creating a sense of grander size to the surroundings and creating some truly thrilling moments of both fisticuffs and passionate conducting.

Without giving too much away, Calum Finlay closes Fanny on what some may find too sombre a note, too serious and down-to-earth a moment for the comedic highs we have spent the prior two hours enjoying. While I do respect that this won’t land for everyone, andsuspect I’m not alone in finding the second act’s attempts to retcon more pathos and familial devotion into the story less successful than the broader comedic scenes, I would also suggest that it is important that Fanny Mendelssohn’s truth be brought as much to light as her brilliance. Fanny was never as acclaimed, nor as known, as her brother, and while a show like Fannydoes important work in bringing more attention to her contributions, it would seem a disservice to her memory, and to the memory of countless overlooked women, to gloss over that harsh reality.

Triumphant, terrifically funny, and with a glowing star turn from Charlie Russell, Fanny is a more-than-welcome addition to the King’s Head’s catalogue, and to the London stage. Written with real care for its central figure, and taking full advantage of the comic chops among its strong cast, this is a surprisingly stirring comedy which has proven, by virtue of a too-fragile prop, that both its cast and its material can roll with the punches, and that audiences no matter how things play out will be met with a wonderful and witty night of theatre.

Fanny plays at the King’s Head Theatre until November 15^th

For tickets and information visit https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/fanny-qft1

Photos by David Monteith-Hodge