Midnight Cowboy. Book by Bryony Lavery based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy. Music by Francis “Eg” White. Southwark Playhouse, to 17 May 2025, 2☆☆. Review: William Russell.

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith.

Midnight Cowboy. Book by Bryony Lavery based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy. Music by Francis “Eg” White. Southwark Playhouse, the Elephant, 1 Dante Place SE11 to 17 May 2025,

2☆☆. Review: William Russell.

“Dire Musical.”

Forget John Schlesinger's celebrated film of the same name starring Jon Voigt and Dustin Hoffman which was also based on James Leo Herlihy's novel and wonder why anyone thought there was a musical to be made from this story about the would be hustler Joe Buck in New York and his friendship with the down and out thief Rizzo. Plodding direction, clumsy choreography, more simulated sex than is needed – the Intimacy Director must have been exhaisted – a score that is uninspired, and in spite of a great deal of hard work by the cast it is one of those if you leave at the interval shows you will have made the right decision. They are few and far between as there is always the hope that things can get better. Here they do not. The blow jobs proliferate as Joe proves a failure as a hustler and the sick Rizzo, who dreams of going to Florida to get away from the cold, falls fatally ill. The film achieved a portrait of low life in New York at a certain time. This has actors going through the motions – it is, after all, work - and if, like me, you saw it at a matinee one ends up feeling for them that some two hours after it has ended they have to go through it all over again. Paul Jacob French gets most of the singing to do as Joe and is forever removing his top while in Act Two Rizzo gets his turn to deliver an aria or two.J acob French's larynx, given what he has to sing, suffers most of the strain. As for the actors who must play his customers some are luckier than others in what they must simulate some of which really is rather disgusting. The man vomiting after he has given Joe a blow job is one such moment. The set is clever enough and everything from public lavatories cruised by Joe to the apartments or hotel rooms of the people he has picked up as well as the bus on which the pair finally embark for Florida are well conjured up. The band plays the score well and to be fair it is all very professionally well done but it never justifies the doing it in the first place.

Cast

Max Bowden – Rizzo

Paul Jacob French – Joe Buck

Tori Allen-Martin – Cass

Joanne Henry – Grandma Sally

Dean Makowski -Clayton – Student

Christian Maynard – Tombaby

Pheobe Roberts – Chalkline Annie

Tim Rogers – Woodsy Niles

Robert Tickell – Mr O'Daniel

Mathhew White – Towny

Nick Lenm Hollie-Ann Lowe – Swings

Creatives

Director – Nick Winston

Set and Lighting – Andrew Exeter

Costumes – Sophia Pardon

Sound – Yvonne Gilbert

Musical Director – Ellie Verkerk

Intimacy Director – Lucy Fennell

Dialect Coach – Mary Howland