Bonnie and Clyde is a musical based on the true story of Bonnie and Clyde, a young couple who lived in the USA during the Great Depression and lived a life of crime. It’s a good show, with some romance as well as drama. Here’s my Bonnie and Clyde musical theatre review.
Overview of Bonnie and Clyde musical
Bonnie and Clyde musical is based on the true story of Bonnie and Clyde. It’s definitely an adult show, dealing with adult themes, but it’s not particularly scary. There’s some shooting scenes, but there are also a lot of tender romantic scenes. I enjoyed the show, so my Bonnie and Clyde musical theatre review is quite positive.
The musical follows the story of Bonnie and Clyde. They meet and fall in love as young adults. Bonnie dreams of being a famous star, and Clyde dreams of becoming rich. Clyde ends up in prison for robbery, but Bonnie and Clyde’s love survives. She helps him escape prison, and the two go on the run together. They commit crimes together, robbing banks, and become famous as the two criminals who can’t be caught.
The musical also features Clyde’s brother, Buck, and his wife Blanche. Buck is in prison with Clyde to start with, but when he is released he tries to turn his back on his previous crimes with Blanche’s support. However, Buck and Blanche end up getting caught up with Bonnie and Clyde’s crimes again.
Anyone who knows the story of Bonnie and Clyde will know how it ends. They did end up getting caught, and were shot when they were driving their car. But despite the sad ending, the musical isn’t particularly sad. It focuses more on Bonnie and Clyde’s relationship, and how they lived life to the full.
What I liked about Bonnie and Clyde
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this musical, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I thought the actor playing Bonnie was particularly good, with an amazing singing voice. The music is mostly jazz/blues type of music, which feels a bit different and I enjoyed it. There’s also some gospel music in there as well, which I loved. The man playing the minister/pastor character had an absolutely beautiful singing voice, and I really enjoyed those songs.
I thought the musical did a really good job of balancing the serious elements of the show with humour and romance. Even though it’s a show about crime, where the main characters end up dead, it really didn’t feel that sad. There were plenty of funny moments – especially from Blanche.
There were lots of soppy moments as well – there was a lot of focus on Bonnie and Clyde’s relationship. The show really conveyed how in love they were, and how they really believed they were living life to the fullest. Despite the trials of their relationship, they got through everything and stayed close and in love. And I really liked that element of the show – it really felt like a celebration of true love, and of two people sticking by each other and choosing each other over everything else. I don’t know if that was meant to be one of the main themes of the show for the audience to remember – but for me, that’s what stood out.
The special effects of the shootings were good too, with loud gunshots and projections of blood. These bits made the show feel more appropriate for adults – but it definitely wasn’t overly yucky. I have quite a low tolerance for violence and goriness in shows, but I coped with this completely fine. I thought it was pitched at a good level.
What I wasn’t so sure about
There wasn’t anything particular about this musical I didn’t like. I enjoyed it – but I wouldn’t put it in my top 10 musicals. But I can’t really put my finger on why.
I enjoyed the music, but a lot of the songs were just nice. I didn’t find many, or any, particularly memorable. There wasn’t really one highlight song that stuck in my head all the way home. So while the music was enjoyable, I didn’t find it particularly memorable or groundbreaking.
Some people might feel that the show focussed too much on the romance and not enough shooting/action scenes. But for me, I thought it was a good balance.
I can’t really think of anything I’d want to change about the musical, and yet it still just wasn’t in my top 10.
Would I recommend Bonnie and Clyde musical
I’d definitely recommend going to see the Bonnie and Clyde musical. It’s an enjoyable show, and a good version of the famous Bonnie and Clyde story. It’s got action and romance, so should appeal to a range of audiences.
Hope you enjoyed my Bonnie and Clyde musical theatre review! Check out my other theatre reviews for more shows in the West End, across the UK and the world.
