Fellini’s classic film about a hapless girl who is sold to a travelling strong man (the title translates as 'The Road') here receives an actor-musician makeover from director Sally Cookson, whose inventive 'Jane Eyre' and 'Peter Pan' recently won plaudits at the National Theatre.
Devised and performed by a multi-talented ensemble, the production has – appropriately – been touring the UK for several months and arrives at The Other Palace in slick shape. But for all its undeniable charm, there is a lack of depth to the storytelling that left me enjoying the spectacle but struggling to connect to the characters.
Cookson and her company hone in on the theme of the corruptive effects of money. Zampano the strongman (Stuart Goodwin) is driven by his constant desire to make 'a bit of cash', invariably frittering it away on booze and women. And his rough treatment of Gelsomina (Audrey Brisson), whose sister died in his care, is clearly motivated by his conflicted feelings of ownership and affection.
Gelsomina, superbly portrayed by Brisson as a variation of Chaplin’s Tramp, is dragged from town to town as an accessory to Zampano’s increasingly delusional act, which involves snapping a metal chain with his chest. Brief salvation comes when they join a circus, though Zampano’s bitter rivalry with a talented clown (Bart Soroczynski) soon spoils the fun.
The company play a wide variety of instruments and deliver Benji Bower’s score with aplomb. It’s just a shame the music itself feels rather derivative, offering little more than a pale interpretation of the original. But there are exceptions, a raucous wedding dance and unicycle-accordion solo (yes, really) chief among them.
All told 'La Strada' is a summery, enjoyable romp of a show that offers a colourful portrait of life on the road. But it struggles to capture the true darkness at the heart of Fellini’s masterpiece.