I don’t know much about musicals. But I had in mind bloomers and line dancing rather than this dark epic by Jason Robert- Brown, and performed by the Festival Players.  Parade follows the true story of the trial of a Jewish factory superintendent, Leo Frank, accused of the horrific murder of a young child and focusses on Leo and his wife Lucille’s attempts to keep it together in a town riven with north- south tensions and anti-Semitism as the local papers whip up the crowds. Given the long look it takes at social prejudice and injustice, it isn't surprising that the show is often taught in American Schools, along with other showcase “ southern courthouse” stories like To Kill a Mockingbird and Inherit the Wind. Kids love musicals, but I don't. And I’m not sure what the harrowing story of the strangulation of a young child gains from the addition of “pop-rock, folk, R&B and gospel style" music. A lot of the songs, though technically superb, are really jaunty and sit at odds with the gutsy content. There are more catchy choruses than actual content to the songs and this felt like a patronising, childish and quite tasteless writing.

In keeping with all the dirt-digging that goes on in the play, and because my wife had left me there alone, I hung around the smoking area in the interval to gauge reactions, and these were all very positive. Gareth Mullin was described as “ scintillating and sweaty,” with the director being commended for “ great pacing and choreography” and Alan Smith for his “ fantastic accent and presence”.

 We agreed that the show began well with a solo Ismael Romero-Clark, who managed to convey vocal power even singing quite quietly. I should add that the ensemble was consistently well harmonized, well-choreographed and stirring.  Steve Nicholson as Leo was a superb, versatile actor and a good singer, capable of playing the quiet and awkward Frank and, in a cracking and stuttering voice, producing moments of real pathos and drama. Amy Castledine as Lucille was equally as good a singer and actor and managed to really garner my sympathy. The pair carried off an intimate love scene before the end with a homely charm. I also really liked the sly malice of Jaime Maguire as Jim Conley, one of Leo’s co-defendants, and the director’s decision to portray him as white. Though the script could have made more of the counter racism deployed by Frank in the real trial. There were problems, though, in the first half and again at the end with the music being louder than the singers' voices, which was a pity because beside from being unable to hear the lyrics, it was also difficult to hear the great singing. Equally Oliver Fisher could have sung louder as Tom Watson, one of the principle anti-Semitic antagonists, because the “ swing that hammer” song was pretty weak.  The next time these guys do something at the ADC I will definitely go and see it, but think hard about what you want to watch before you go to Parade, it’s quite a mouthful. 

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