Review: PACIFIC OVERTURES, Menier Chocolate Factory

It’s the mid-1800s and Japan is a secluded paradise after expelling all foreigners two centuries earlier. American Commodore Matthew Perry has been sent out on a mission to open trade relations with the isolationist nation, resulting in the sudden Westernisation of the country.

Pacific Overtures is, just like its story, a blend of Americanisms set to an East Asian atmosphere. Stephen Sondheim’s rarely revived tale of colonialism and toxic ambition lands in London in a co-production with Umeda Arts Theater in Japan. The musical was received as somewhat problematic in 1976, so, now that the socio-cultural landscape has changed, the Menier has put a disclaimer on their website regarding its outdated views on race and the sexual objectification of women. In short, there’s a content warning for every theme present in the show.

Matthew White’s latest creation is stunning and Sondheim’s score remains beautiful. White doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to condemning the actions depicted, though at the very end his vision seems to suddenly shift all the violence into the necessary evil that kick-started Japan’s technological advancement. Questionable, but interesting. He keeps a relentlessly satirical hold on the matter, but tips into cartoonish vignettes here and there. There are some excellent moments of stagecraft - like when large origami boats become the bow of a ship - and the company is greatly cohesive. Intriguing touches bring the piece into the modern world, turning it into a history lesson of sorts, or a guided tour.

The direction puts Japan on display before the performance even begins. The actors stream in slowly to appreciate the artefacts displayed on the traverse designed by Paul Farnsworth, shrouded in antique bronze, as if in a fancy museum. A brief summary of Japanese foreign policies from the 17th Century opens the narrative before diving into the nitty gritty of the plot. White is liberally meta: the Reciter controls the sequence of events with a remote, even changing the language from Japanese to English so that his audience can understand. It’s all quite amusing in the hands of Jon Chew and his gripping charisma.

The classically Sondheimian melodic architecture makes this a largely listenable piece of theatre, but there aren’t any specifically standout numbers or whistleable tunes in it. While the acting can be slightly histrionic at the start and there’s a fair amount of fan-waving and a lot of staring into the mid-distance, the cast are enthralling and make John Weidman’s book work with clockwork rhythm. The aim of the musical at this specific point in time is fairly ambiguous, but White’s production is surprisingly tasteful. He honours tradition with creativity and tact, maintaining a steady grip on the tone of his concept and delivering it with sensitivity and charm. All in all, this is probably the best way one could stage the material these days

Pacific Overtures runs at the Menier Chocolate Factory until 24 February 2024.

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan

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