Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Edinburgh review: 'spectacular'

Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Playhouse, Edinburgh ★★★★

The red curtain trilogy, director Baz Luhrmann called his trio of films on theatrical themes - Strictly Ballroom, Romeo And Juliet, Moulin Rouge - all made between 1992 and 2001. And it was in a mighty blaze of red and gold - all red plush curtains and glowing illuminated windmills - that the latest version of Moulin Rouge! The Musical launched its world tour in Edinburgh on Wednesday night, in front of a packed and delighted Playhouse audience.

Set in Paris in 1900, Moulin Rouge is a fabulous pastiche of a show, that draws on classics from La Boheme to The Lady of the Camellias for its story about a young visiting American called Christian, who falls passionately in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge cabaret, the lovely and talented Satine.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical | Contributed

The cabaret is run by flamboyant host and compere Harold Zidler, whom Christian hopes will help him pursue his ambitions as a songwriter; but it soon emerges that Harold is all but bankrupt, and is relying on Satine’s charms to win financial support from a wealthy Duke who visits the club.

The plot therefore revolves around a classic tension between Christian’s idealistic young love for Satine - which she fully returns - and the pressures of her hard and complicated life, which have seen her rise by sheer talent and determination from a grim childhood on the streets to her current star status. And like Luhrmann’s film, this spectacular stage version captures the story in a slightly startling juke-box-musical style, featuring a range of familiar 20th and 21st century hits often with cleverly adapted lyrics, from Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Ce Soir, through Material Girl, to Elton John’s beautiful Your Song.

In Alex Timbers’ new production - set to tour on this year to Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Dublin and Zurich - Verity Thompson makes a poignant and vocally powerful Satine, while Nate Landskroner deftly handles the difficult task of playing Christian both as romantic hero and as slightly ironic link to the 21st century audience, claiming with a nod and a wink to have written both Your Song, and The Sound Of Music.

And Cameron Blakely, as embattled impresario Harold Zidler, stands at the dramatic heart of the story, in a performance that - given the musical mix - often seems as much British end-of-the-pier as 19th century Montmartre; but is backed by a superb live band and 20-strong ensemble, who deliver the show’s complex mash-up score - and Sonya Tayeh’s hard-edged night-club choreography - with a flair and energy that, on Derek McLane’s dazzling set, finally brings the audience to their feet, in a well-deserved standing ovation.

Moulin Rouge is at the Playhouse, Edinburgh, until 14 June.