Review: ROSIE, Adelphi Theatre

Rosie arrives at the Adelphi Theatre for a one-off staged concert with great promise. Described as a ‘thrilling tale of passion, scandal and courageous determination’, the soundtrack has already received multiple international awards. Yet, while many of the songs are pleasant and the cast delivers vocally, the story ultimately falls a little flat.

As the name suggests, the play follows Rosie, a young Irish girl who has grown up in a convent and dreams of becoming a West End Star and falling in love. Fortunately for Rosie, these dreams are not very hard to come by, thanks to a one-note narrative that leaves little to no space for any sense of difficulty. Issues, from being robbed upon her arrival in London to a meddling would-be stepmother, are resolved moments after they are encountered, meaning that audiences always know what is going to happen next.

The result makes for a book that feels overtly formulaic, and a production that struggles to maintain any sense of tension. Character development also struggles off the back of this; Rosie becomes a character who things happen to, as opposed to someone steadfastly going after what she wants. While everyone on stage gives enthusiastic and earnest performances, there’s often not enough for them to work with in the book.

What currently feels like a fantastical storybook romance could easily be given a little more bite, especially when you consider that it's inspired by true events, and that the real Rosie likely had a less straightforward journey towards success and happiness. 

The score, evocative of traditional musical theatre, was suitably grand, allowing both the on-stage orchestra and performers to demonstrate remarkable skill - though it would have been nice for the lyrics to help move the story along, instead of repeating a message we’d heard in the previous scene. 

All being said, it still feels that there’s a future life for Rosie. The introduction of greater (or more long-lasting) dramatic stakes would help get the narrative to where it needs to be, ensuring that the story is as daring as the score that accompanies it. 

Photo Credit: Danny Kaan