Ok, review from Sunday from a Lovelee Kitten. Hope the Kittens don't mind me using their name, but I consider myself a fan of both!
I feel very privileged to have seen I Love You Because in such an intimate theatre as the Landor, because this show deserves to be on a bigger stage. But having said that, the audience benefits so much from the cosy setting that it is almost enough to make you want to keep it as your little secret. The only drawback to the theatre’s size is that at times, the actors, Daniel Boys in particular, seemed to be reigning in their voices to compensate. But when Daniel really does let his voice do what it does best, it soars beautifully – in a way that TV could never convey. Having no mics does not seem to daunt the cast, and in Daniel’s biggest songs and notes, his voice was breathtaking – all the more so because you were startlingly aware of the fact it was in its natural beauty.
It would be unfair to review the musical and concentrate solely on Daniel, for the other five members of the cast are wonderful too. Richard Frame lacks Daniel’s charisma, but playing a character who is a self-confessed ‘perpetual bachelor’ with a tendency towards malapropisms, this lack of charisma does not matter too much. His American accent is spot on, and probably the best of them all. Here, incidentally, is the one area I can find to fault Daniel. His accent fades in and out of New York American, enough to make one wonder whether the director would have lost too many nuances by making the brothers English. Having said this, the way Daniel plays Austin Bennet is devastatingly brilliant in every other way. His facial expression are wonderfully detailed and beautiful in their poignancy humour and pathos.
The chemistry between Daniel and Jodie Jacobs who plays Marcy has been much noted and it would be hard to disagree. They make a perfect pair, so much so that when their relationship founders, tears sprung to my eyes, such was the chemistry and the feeling that these two should be together. Marcy’s sidekick Diana is adeptly played by Debbie Kurup who, along with Frame, raises plenty of laughs along the way.
In the second act, as Daniel stood just feet, or not even that, away from me in my seat on the front row, he began to make eye contact with the audience as he hit the big notes. The few seconds in which his eyes lingered on mine made me feel like the only person in the packed out theatre – and I’m sure others felt this too. His charisma and star quality is such that it is hard to tear your eyes away from him at times – he truly has a magnetic presence on stage.
There is no doubt about it that this is a much more complex role than that of Joseph, and in this respect gives Daniel chance to show off his acting skills – which he did not have much opportunity to do in ADWD. He has nailed the character of Austin Bennet, and I doubt there was a single member of the audience who did not fall for ands root for the geeky, sweet and loveable Austin, thanks to Daniel’s portrayal.
As the cast come on stage to take their bows at the close of the play – which comes all too quickly after the short second act – the joy they feel is clear to see. There can be no doubt that these six people have had a great time putting on this show and are rightly proud of the end product. They soak up the applause not with the bravado and swagger of people who have seen it all before but with humility and the enjoyment of people who really do appreciate their fans. The willingness of them, Daniel in particular, to sign autographs and pose for photos in the bar later only compounded this view.
I Love You Because is a funny and heartwarming show about the nature of love and how it finds you. It has everything a great show needs – great actors, good music, plenty of humour, a touch of sadness and lots of emotion. If this is a sign of things to come from Daniel Boys, then I for one wait with bated breath for his next project.
