Evita

Evita may be remembered as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's masterwork; even critics of their talent mostly concede to the greatness of the piece.

For the uninitiated, the musical charts the rise and fall of Eva Duarte, following her from starry-eyed dreamer and power-hungry bed-hopper to political manipulator and First Lady of Argentina. Told from the point of view of revolutionary Che Guevara, the story is a cynical commentary on political power, corruption and exploitation.

In the role of Che is Seamus Cullen, most notably known as one of the aspiring Josephs on BBC's Any Dream Will Do. His singing here is the same as it was on the show: inconsistent, fluxing between mediocre to powerful. What Cullen does excellently, however, is stress the sarcasm contained in Rice's lyrics, which nearly makes up for any musical shortcomings.

Even more noteworthy is Mark Heenehan's performance as Colonel/President Peron. A role that many believe to be a thankless one, Heenehan surprisingly manages to create a full-bodied character that's both powerful and sympathetic.

Directors Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright have staged a big production that's happy to flash its budget around with bright lights, towering sets and colourful costumes. It's easy to be cynical about a brash production that tells the story of greed while pouring money around without a thought, but it still looks impressive. What is most interesting is the re-interpretation this production has of some key moments. Some work well, such as changing The Art of the Possible from a game of musical chairs into a commentary on political kidnapping. Other times the staging feels vacant, more intent on making pretty pictures and spectacle than creating emotional connections.

One must also question the changes made since the premiere, most of which are worthless. Extensions of chorus numbers do little more than give an excuse for more directional flash, and the addition of the song You Must Love Me contradicts the structure of the scenes that occur between it. It's almost like Webber has been bitten by the same bug as George Lucas was with the Star Wars films and, like Lucas, Webber should just leave his earlier work alone.

But with all of this in mind, no production of Evita can succeed without a powerful performance by its female lead. Louise Dearman has big shoes to fill and she does so, for the most part. She has a nice voice, great stage presence and makes some solid character choices. She is a performer with loads of potential, but therein lies the problem: her potential hasn't quite born ripe fruit. She seems to be the right actress in the right role but in the wrong time in her career. It's easy to imagine her being a future star, but she just isn't quite there yet. She's more than good enough, but not the solid lead she should, and in the near future could, be.

Many will find much to like, perhaps even love, with this new incarnation of Evita; it has a lot of energy and pizzazz and looks impressive. But with its style-over-substance approach, it isn't the definitive production it wants to be.