Murder Ballad

As promised, here's my review of the indie rock musical, Murder Ballad! The minute I had heard who was in this show, I knew I had to get tickets as soon as I could! Seriously, how could I miss seeing 4 of the greatest West End actors on stage together in a show about passion, lust and a murder most foul? So, will this  indie musical be so sexy that it gives RENT a run for its money, or is it just gonna kill me inside for the wrong reasons?
Murder Ballad
Starring: Kerry Ellis, Ramin Karimloo, Norman Bowman, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt

A love triangle set in New York, this murder mystery focuses on the rebellious downtown Sara (Kerry Ellis), her dogged-nice-guy uptown husband Michael (Norman Bowman) & bad boy ex-lover Tom (Ramin Karimloo) along with the Narrator (Victoria Hamilton-Barritt) who frequently interacts with the characters. While having a bout of depression from monotonous years of married life & being a mother, Sara & Tom rekindle their love as Michael struggles to help his wife. All of this of course leads to a mystery of which of the 3 lovers will die at the end & how (not exactly a spoiler given the title & it's mentioned at the beginning).

A brand new production of the 2013 off-Broadway show, this really is a much more character driven piece. From the summary of the plot alone, it's easy to tell that it's very simple. While not bad in the slightest given how relatable it can be, it's also admittedly a double-edged sword as it can get up to the point that it's cliched. From the get-go it's easy to predict what's going to happen, although you could argue that it's intentional & it didn't stop me from being intrigued with what plot thread would come next. Undeniably sexy (not as much as it's been built up to be admittedly), it helps that the characters themselves are interesting rather than being one dimensional cardboard cutouts. They can all have their inner demons throughout and while their actions are undoubtedly questionable, it is understandable why they do what they do. I'll explain a bit more once I discuss the characters/actors, but what I'm trying to say is while the story may seem cliched on paper, the execution is definitely what saves it from being boring or tedious.

The visuals in this are really minimalist. Rather than using elaborate sets to portray New York, this would rather use very limited props with tables, chairs, boxes & a duvet & pillow for the characters to use, similar to the off-Broadway production all being set in a bar. It does incorporate video projections of either locations, images to convey atmosphere or to show Sara & Michael's daughter, Frankie. While it may have been a bit difficult for me to understand what was going on during certain parts because of the limitations, it wasn't up to the point that it ruined the experience for me. Although given the fast pace up to the point that the actors get changed on-stage, it does sort of make sense in the context. And hey, if at any point it gave the excuse for Ramin to take his shirt off, that's fine by me!

Rather than relying on visuals, this musical prefers to let the music and actors tell the story. The 4 main actors (the only actors who appear other than 2 swings who occasionally appear) are each phenomenal in their roles as they give these stock characters dimension. The incomparable Kerry Ellis was especially a stand out as Sara as while she easily could have been portrayed as a pariah who takes her life for granted, she gives her much sympathy as she struggles with giving in to her lust for her old life through Tom's free spirited & rebellious nature while staying dutiful to her loving husband. Norman Bowman's Michael, while appearing perfect on the surface as a poetry enthusiast, still has his own demons after he realizes Sara isn't as happy as she could be in their marriage & what he could do to help her. Of course, Ramin was ideal casting as Tom. As a bit of a cad who convinces Sara to bring back the good old days, Karimloo shows a controlling side to him while not portraying him as a complete monster. While they (and for that matter Ellis & Karimloo) have such smoldering chemistry that would make them seem like a perfect match, it's clear Sara knows how toxic their relationship really is. Although, this admittedly gave me Phantom of the Opera flashbacks given that they pretty much play the same role as a seductive yet incredibly possessive man who pines for a woman who has fallen for another...Victoria Hamilton-Barritt was equally as interesting & entertaining as the smarmy Narrator with her husky voice and reactions to what was going on without feeling too intrusive on the narrative.

The musical numbers all stand out, with witty lyrics and cleverly metaphorically comparing the plot to a pack of cards. Going for an indie rock genre, it helps both drive the plot forward & express how the characters are feeling. Instead of coming across as pretentious or distracting, they feel natural and fit very well with the manically fast pace. Entirely sung through with absolutely no spoken dialogue, it's incredible how much stamina the actors have to be able to sing so flawlessly in this 90 minute show. Hearing them all sing rock compared to your typical broadway sounding musical numbers all the more showed that they all have a very wide range. And given that Ramin also has a background in indie/rock music with his former band The Sheytoons, it just felt to good see him finally perform in this genre for a show and he clearly felt right at home singing it.

Murder Ballad is a sexy, provocative and surprisingly deep show. Filled and ear wormingly catchy indie rock songs, a creative set and phenomenal performances from such incredible actors, this REALLY is something worth watching for those in need of a more...adult musical or something quirkier than the average West End show. And given that Lin Manuel-Miranda of all people went to see it recently, that just shows how good of a show it is! But if I were you, I'd get your tickets fast because this closes on December 3rd!
Rating: ****

And yep, I did get to meet all four actors after the show and I must say, they're all so lovely! Seeing THE Kerry Ellis in person was incredible after and seeing Ramin again after five long years and how much success he's had since then really was an eye opener for me. And funny enough, before the show started, a few of us waiting for our tickets got quick glimpses of Ramin and Norman coming in through the cafe as they headed in to get changed for the show.