I'd Like To Propose A Toast.

Following on from Hadestown on my first night in London, Tuesday bought along one of the most anticipated productions of the entire year. The oldest musical I saw on my trip (heck, this has turned out to be the only 20th century show I've seen this time), it is a hotly anticipated revival from one of theatrelands best directors, and has made a revolutionary change to say least. 

Currently playing at the Gielgud Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, the revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company recently opened to rave reviews across the board; although the real attraction to this is that for the first time ever, the show has been "gender-swapped", having the male lead Bobby become Bobbie - a female, the idea of director Marianne Elliot (War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time) that's had the approval of Sondheim himself!

Bowing on Broadway in 1970, the show follows commitment-phobic bachelor Bobby who on his 35th birthday contemplates marriage and his relationships with his "good and crazy people, my married friends". But the gender-swap from Bobby to Bobbie isn't the only change. The time is now the present day, one of the married couples is now a gay couple and another couple have swapped lines to show a working mother and stay-at-home father. It certainly looks on paper that Elliot has tried to make this fresh and new, but has she really done it in practise? 

The only other version of Company I have seen is the 2011 filmed version starring Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby. And while it was decent, I really couldn't relate to it at the time - partly due to the fact I was quite a bit younger, and partly due to the fact it felt a little distant from me. This time, it made a lot more sense!

The switch from Bobby to Bobbie could have been gimmicky, but Elliot hasn't done that at all; it hasn't just been a woman plonked into a man's role. Working with Sondheim on the changes, the attention to detail really shows. From switching gender, there is an immediate urgency and tick-tock-ing of the body clock and Bobbie realising she is running out of time. There was no urgency when it was a man; and it's with that that I begin to understand what this show is about; this time, there are real stakes with Bobbie, shown best during a dream sequence which shows future ghosts of her coming in and out of the room tired, pregnant, weary. It gives a real sense of panic in Bobbie, realising she doesn't have much time left, but at the same time is reluctant to give up the freedom she has and that her friends are not-so secretly jealous of. 

As if the big fat change wasn't enough, Elliot has assembled a quite frankly INSANE team of talent to play these characters: from Rosalie Craig as Bobbie herself and theatreland juggernaut Patti LuPone (…!!!); to screen stars Mel Giedroyc, Jonathan Bailey and Richard Fleeshman; as well as stage favourites Alex Gaumond (Into The Woods), Matthew Seadon-Young, former Phantom Ben Lewis and Gavin Spokes (Guys and Dolls)!

Craig's Bobbie never leaves the stage and your focus is never off her as her red dress always seems to stand out in the florescent-lit set. Speaking of the set, I've seen a lot of reviewers compare it to Alice in Wonderland, and I can see where they're coming from, as Bobbie explores each room/scenario almost in a dreamlike state with a bottle of bourbon in hand; and this is putting a LITERAL reference of the classic to the side. But going back to Craig, she's mesmerizing as Bobbie - I don't really know what else to say other than that. She's definitely someone you'd want as a friend and her plea during Being Alive (the big 11 o'clock number) feels incredibly genuine.

As for the rest of the cast, Patti LuPone was as amazing as you would expect. Joanne, the straight-talking cynical one of Bobbie's friends seems almost written for her, her "Rise"s in her big number Ladies Who Lunch giving me chills every time that was sung, coming over in waves. No wonder she got a massive cheer - this is Patti LuPone after all...! Tbh, I'm still in awe I've seen her on stage, especially as this could be the last musical she does...!

Casual selfie with Mel Giedroyc

But even with Craig and LuPone knocking the audiences socks off, there's one person I HAVE to mention who blew them into the stratosphere - and that is Jonathan Bailey. Bailey plays Jamie (formally Amy), Bobbie's gay best friend and the now panicking groom-to-be who sings Getting Married Today (the insanely fast one). In this number, Jamie is not only desperate but also absolutely hilarious, not least down to the incredible staging of the song - I don't think I would react any differently than Jamie did if I had a soprano singing minister pop out from behind doors and hiding in the fridge...!

Finally, seeing as I took a stage door selfie with her, how about Mel Giedroyc? Well, she played Sarah, and while she didn't have a song of her own, she does have her moment to shine near the beginning of the show, showing off some jujitsu moves with her husband Harry (played by Spokes). And yes, with that, she is as funny as you would expect her to be.

A lot of people have now said they now cannot imagine Company any other way - and tbh I can understand why. The problem with the original version was that it could be seen as a bit of a dated piece, as it is 48 years old now. This has now made it as revolutionary as it was when it opened by bringing it right up to speed from 2018. Keep an eye out on this one - I'm guessing this would be an awards gold mine...!