Review: Kimberly Akimbo (Hampstead Theatre)
Review by Daz Gale
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Hampstead Theatre have proven themselves to be a reliable and exciting home for plays in recent years, but it is very rare that you will see a musical being staged there. That isn’t to say it’s never happened, with The Kinks’ musical Sunny Afternoon beginning its still thriving life there. Certainly since I have been reviewing there, I haven’t seen a fully-fledged musical in their main space, but that is all changing with their latest arrival. Making its European debut following an acclaimed, Tony Award-winning Broadway run, Kimberly Akimbo has its hopes on British audiences falling in love in the same way. More than two years since its Broadway closure, would the show have aged as well or would it leave audiences consulting their big book of anagram puzzles in an attempt to relieve their boredom?
First seen off-Broadway in 2021 and transferring to Broadway the following year, Kimberly Akimbo tells the story of Kimberly Levaco, a teenage girl living with her dysfunctional family in New Jersey. Suffering from a condition that causes her to age rapidly, the average life expectancy with her condition is sixteen years. As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Kimberly searches for happiness in any way she can, knowing that time is not on her side. Add in family secrets and the risk of criminal charges, there are obstacles she has to face to seek happiness, with her wish to see the world beyond New Jersey seeming less likely with each passing day.
Written by David Lindsay-Abaire with music by Jeanine Tesori, Kimberly Akimbo is a deceptive beast of a show. You can go into it knowing every beat of the story or completely blind, letting each twist and turn wash over you and you will still feel exactly the same thing. For my first visit, I thought I knew where the show was going to go and found myself proved wrong in a show that is refreshing for its choices in how to tell this particular story. The whole idea of a race against time for a girl unlikely to see her seventeenth birthday may come across as fairly morbid and depressing. The fact it does the complete opposite of that is a testament to the brilliance of the show and, notably, the writing. The result is a joyous and unexpected watch that somehow crams in all of the many joys life has to offer, despite its many complexities. Through exaggerated characters that somehow still seem completely plausible and relatable, it is a sweet and life-affirming watch that may bring on some tears, but will spend most of its time attempting to encourage tears of joy.
I didn’t think joyous was a word I would use to describe a story such as this, but that is what is at the heart of the story. It also helps that it is wickedly funny as well, with hilarious one-liners and absurd situations causing me to break into hysterics repeatedly throughout. It isn’t low-hanging fruit, however, with great care taken into each line to ensure this is comedy with intelligence. The entire script benefits from that, coming across as elegant and exquisite, full of meticulous details and jokes that earn their ultimate payoff, causing a faultless hit rate. The appearance of a clock may remind us that time is running out, particularly for Kimberly, but the show never wants us to forget that life is for living and to make every second count. A show that carries a worthy and important message that elevates it from simply being an entertaining watch - something it certainly is as well.
I wasn’t familiar with any of the songs from Kimberly Akimbo with my first experience with any of them being a performance at West End Live several months ago, and then a trip to the rehearsal room a few weeks back. Very rarely have I fallen in love with a score quite so quickly and fully. With music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, the result is an eclectic mix of numbers, only consistent in their quality, with intelligent lyrics and memorable melodies crying out for repeated listening (I wasted no time in adding them to a playlist myself). From the beauty of ‘Father Time’, the message in ‘This Time’ and the outlandish ‘How To Wash A Check’, each number has no struggle in wowing. However, the standout number here is ‘Better’, performed by Alice Fearn (more on her shortly) and making sure the message in Kimberly Akimbo is clear for everyone to hear - “Make your sh*tty life better”. I don’t know about anyone else, but I personally felt like my sh*tty life was made all the better for the inclusion of this song. More so, in what has been quite a sh*tty climate for theatre of late, the opening of this show has immediately made London theatre better too.
If the bones for an exceptional show were already there in the writing, Michael Longhurst has taken those elements and found new and creative ways to elevate the show further through his phenomenal direction. I don’t think I can ever recall seeing the stage at Hampstead Theatre bursting with life quite as much as it does in Kimberly Akimbo, and much of that is a testament to his direction. Ensuring every beat lands and the audience feel exactly what they should, the use of connection from the material is incredibly strong, resulting in a hugely impactful watch that penetrated my very soul. My overused line is “Theatre at its best can make you feel” and this show certainly did that, ensuring I went through the emotional wringer but came out with a huge smile on my face. I am reminded of Longhurst’s exceptional work on Next To Normal a couple of years ago with his approach to this. The great care he has taken in his work to never forget the very essence of humanity and how best to form that connection is what made that production sound a resounding success, and is a huge part of why Kimberly Akimbo does exactly that too.
Soutra Gilmour’s design also impresses, bringing three floors of the Levacos’ house to the stage. If that wasn’t impressive enough, the whole thing is on a revolve, transforming the stage to every location in the play through some great detail. The initial reveal of the stage was more than satisfying in itself, but each subsequent reveal just added more and more to it in a fantastic feat of design. Matt Cole’s choreography is used to great effect, ensuring the stage is always bursting with life, and perfectly complementing Longhurst’s direction, while strong lighting from Jack Knowles and great sound design from Paul Groothuis makes this a production I struggled to find any fault in.
A musical theatre legend leads the production with Maria Friedman returning to the stage to take on Kimberly Levaco. Friedman’s talent and track record speak for themselves, but one look at her in this role makes it clear to see why she has been so well-regarded for many years now. Her take on the character beautifully brings out the vulnerability, sweetness and innocence of the character while never undermining the fate that awaits her. Friedman does a marvelous job of balancing the brash, assertive side of her that knows she is running out of time with the want to be a child while she still can and have fun. The delivery of certain lines where she compares herself to her classmates are filled with emotion, creating a sense of poignancy that plays to Friedman’s strengths beautifully. Maria Friedman is wonderfully playful in the role, somehow convincingly coming across as a teenager, despite appearances.
Kimberly Akimbo is not a one-person show by any stretch, and I was surprised at just how much each of the nine-strong cast had to do. This is very much an ensemble piece, with every cast member having their time to shine, and each and every one of them proving what incredible talents they really are. Within that ensemble is a group of four who make up the “show choir” with Sara Hajizadeh, Ronav Jain, Robin Simões da Silva and Aviva Tulley taking on the roles of Teresa, Aaron, Martin and Delia respectively. The interaction between these four, namely their unrequited love for each other, proves to be one of the highlights of the show, with the dynamic between all four always electric to see, often leading to humorous moments with sensational harmonies to boot.
Niamh Perry plays the role of Pattie Levaco in a compelling and memorable way. If Kimberly looks older than her years, her mother Pattie certainly acts younger than hers. In what could be described as an exaggerated and even erratic turn in places, Perry finds the depth in the character to ensure her big musical number ‘Father Time’ lands in the way it should, with Perry delivering a masterclass performance in storytelling through that song. Her husband and Kimberly’s father, Buddy, is played by Peter Hannah, equally wonderful in the role while offering a stark contrast to his wife and daughter. Hannah manages to find the comedic moments even through the most disturbing and potentially tragic of circumstances, but there is a sorrow to the character as he grapples with the situation that ensures this is anything but a one-dimensional characterisation. Hannah thrills on a wonderfully chaotic ‘Happy For Her’, showing his versatility as an actor later on with a sweet and very telling ‘Hello, Baby’.
The remaining two cast members were both the standouts for me. Gilli Jones delivers a knockout performance as Seth Weetis in one of the sweetest characterisations I have ever seen. His instantly loveable Seth was played to perfection, thanks to Jones’ ability to embody the character. There is a real warmth and stage presence to Jones’ portrayal of Seth, with his Act Two number ‘Good Kid’ a huge highlight of the show. Last but certainly not least is Alice Fearn. No stranger to a big role, Fearn is more than happy to stay on the sidelines for part of this show, knowing full well she will make her presence felt in a big way. Fearn is at her scene-stealing best as Debra, causing riotous laughter with her sometimes shocking but always funny lines. It is certainly the loudest and most out there character of the show, but Fearn is very clearly having the time of her life as the character, and the joy that exudes even through some of the darker moments of the character is a testament to that. As previously mentioned, her performance of ‘Better’ proves to be the musical highlight of the show, not just because of how great the song is anyway, but due to how sensational Fearn is in performing it.
When Kimberly Akimbo was on Broadway, people I knew who had seen it told me I would love it. That can sometimes be a recipe for disaster, and I tried to go into this with low expectations so as not to be disappointed. I needn’t have worried. This show is everything I love in musicals and more. A story packed with heart, humour and humanity, Kimberly Akimbo is well-written both in its book and songs, leading to one of the most exciting new musicals I have seen in quite some time. I thought after seeing a certain musical that my favourite show of the year was a one-horse-race, a new contender has emerged with this one. Honestly, I couldn’t have loved it any more if I tried - the smile that was on my face once the show ended has not left hours later, and I imagine I’ll continue smiling as I look back and think about this show (before an inevitable repeat visit, that is).
Kimberly Akimbo is what theatre should be, and I would encourage everyone to go and see it while it is still in London to experience something truly beautiful. Life-affirming and joyous, you will leave the theatre feeling completely fulfilled, and isn’t that the true beauty of theatre when it is done as right as this? Kimberly Akimbo reminds us that life is short and every second counts. All I can say in response to that is this show is worth every second and people should certainly make time for it in a production that is guaranteed to make anyone's life infinitely better. My hope is that this show will have a long and healthy life in the UK in the years to come, and I for one look forward to following it wherever it goes next.
Kimberly Akimbo plays at Hampstead Theatre until 7th November. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/musical/kimberly-akimbo-tickets
Photos by Marc Brenner