London Theatre Review: Songs for Nobodies at the Ambassadors Theatre
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| By
Laura Franek
Nestled in the gorgeous Ambassadors Theatre on West Street, the delightful Songs for Nobodies by Joanna Murray-Smith is playing for a limited run until February 2019. Freshly transferred to the West End from a run at Wilton’s Music Hall, this one-woman show is directed by Simon Phillips with musical direction by Greg Arrowsmith and performed skilfully by Bernadette Robinson.
The remarkably talented and stunningly versatile Bernadette Robinson brings Songs for Nobodies to life.
The play, a collection of melancholic brushes of unknown persons - our titular Nobodies - with five celebrity figures, sweeps through the stories and songs of iconic female singers from the twentieth century; Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday and Maria Callas. It is an episodic piece and unfolds in a series of monologues and melodies that knit together to give a whimsical look at how these seeming nobodies’ lives were touched by their personal encounters with these idols.
Bernadette Robinson shows great breadth and versatility, showcasing a range of accents and vocals that dazzle the audience and distract from the formulaic approach of each storyline. Where the script over-indulges in nostalgia, the music beautifully dovetails into the action and Robinson’s gift for storytelling through song provides a particularly touching delivery of well-known classics.
The direction is simple and delicate and works wonderfully with the intimate setting of the Ambassadors’ auditorium, so we feel we’re sharing a front room and cup of tea with the characters. The play runs for 90 minutes without an interval and is a lovely setting in which to steal away from the busy streets of London and pass some time with a heart-warming trip down memory lane.
Songs for Nobodies is only playing at the Ambassadors Theatre through 23 February.
Book your Songs for Nobodies tickets now to take a trip down memory lane and experience a brush with fame.