Review: Passion, at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

After a couple of nights in London, it was back up to Manchester to my first 2022 visit at the Hope Mill.  

This Spring, they have been hosts to a performance of Stephen Sondheim's Passion, a piece of his that I've found people know very little if any about, or ALL about. 

Set in 19th century Italy, young soldier Giorgio becomes the centre of a rather sticky love triangle when he is posted to a new station. He is already embroiled in the beautiful but married Clara; but then he meets the sickly older Fosca, who falls HARD for him. 

The piece won the Triple Crown (Best Book, Score and Musical) at the 1994 Tony Awards, as well as winning another for Donna Murphy's performance as Fosca. It transferred to London in 1997, with Maria Friedman as Fosca (winning an Oliver), and Michael Ball (Les Mis) as Giorgio. Since then it has had a few big productions here and there, including a revival at the Donmar in 2010 - and gave David Thaxton (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) a win for playing Giorgio. 

So it's not completely alien - but you can definitely be forgiven if you hadn't heard of Passion. It's certainly more of a niche show than say Into The Woods, or Sweeney Todd. 

I of course adore the Hope Mill, was intrigued to see this show, as the first Sondheim show (in a theatre, pushing West Side Story aside here) I would have been able to see since his death last year. 

And of course this production is dedicated to his memory. 

But there was one BIG plus of this production of Passion in particular: Ruthie Henshall as Fosca. 

Fosca has been described as one of those parts that's right up there for a... woman of a certain age to play. No wonder Henshall grabbed it. She's certainly... well... 

"As mad as a box of frogs" the lady sat next to me. 

She's certainly a complex woman. We don't know if it is a physical or mental illness she's suffering from, perhaps both; and she's very volatile. You certainly go through a "journey" of emotions watching her story play out. Henshall had a mammoth task to go through what Fosca does every night. 

In fact, thinking about it, this is one of the reasons why Sondheim was, well still is called the modern Shakespeare. 

Though Fosca is one big part of the story, it would only work if she had a Giorgio to bounce off - and it in a way is HIS story at the centre of this love tornado. Stepping into the soldier's boots was Dean-John Wilson (The King & I), gorgeous looks and voice to boot. Like Fosca, Giorgio goes on a "journey" of sorts too, especially in how he views Fosca; ultimately trying to always find the best thing for the situation in his eyes. In HIS eyes being the key phrase here. You can see it in how he phrases each letter to Clara (played by Kelly Price (Little Shop of Horrors)). 

The thing with Passion is, as you may have realised is that it is not the puppy-dog kind of love that you may have seen before. MariusxCossette this is NOT. 

The love discussed here is obsessive, possessive, the kind you debate is healthy or not. It's deep, unexpected, one that pops up out of nowhere, one that, as Fosca says you "can't control". 

A love that is ultimately complicated. 

Speaking of complicated, you can tell this is a Sondheim/Lapine musical, as the music and lyrics are richly overlapping with rhyme coming out of everywhere. 

It perhaps doesn't have as much of the wit others like Company has, though that may be due to the topic at hand. Any show that opens up with this serious love scene isn't likely going to sprinkled with little ditties.... 

With that said, I wouldn't recommend this perhaps if you haven't seen any Sondheim before. 

However, if you are used to how Sondheim works, or are more of a straight-play person, especially for high dramas or Shakespeare, then I highly recommend this one. 

Even including the scenes which are a bit cringey to say the least and have you want to say: 

 "Fosca, that is NOT what you do/say!" and "Giorgio, you should know better!". 

Would be funny in all honesty to see how the Gogglebox-ers would say to it... 

I digress. 

After seeing the effect spectacle of Life of Pi, and the dark hoe-down of Oklahoma, Passion is the one out of this little three-in-a-row that both made me think the most, and was perhaps the hardest to write. 

But I think that's the point - Sondheim's works are like that a lot of the time, so if he gave me something to ponder over on the tram, then I think he's done more than his job. Especially as the last write up of this MAMMOTH May..!

Passion is running at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester until 5th June 2022.