Evita is a show that I've had on my to-watch list for quite some time and apart from knowing the big hits (Don't Cry For Me Argentina etc), it's a show that's been a bit of an enigma to me. I was super happy when I found out that I'd won a pair of tickets to the show in an Instagram competition so that I would finally get to find out what Evita is all about.
The production itself is absolutely stunning. The set has staircases which allow for an interesting use of height, as well as arches and so many moving elements that effortlessly shift to create a variety of locations. I also adored the many costumes (obviously the white dress that Eva wears on the balcony was a favourite as it's so iconic and beautiful) and the lighting too - it helped to heighten the emotion and added even more life to the production. Visually, it was a very memorable show.
Emma Hatton as Eva was simply mesmerising. Her voice really astounded me, showing off that she could be powerful and vulnerable just from her tone. Her rendition of Don't Cry For Me Argentina gave me shivers but my personal favourite was You Must Love Me as you could feel the raw emotion there. Gian Marco Schiaretti as Ché was also fantastic. Being on stage almost throughout must be really challenging but he had a fantastic voice, and a bit of falsetto always impresses me.
While I enjoyed the production overall, I just think that the show itself is not for me. I went in there with a lot of unanswered questions about the plot and if I'm completely honest, I still had a lot of these questions when the show was over. I also didn't realise that the show was completely sung-through: I was expecting some dialogue so, although the big showstopping numbers were excellent, I wasn't such a big fan of the linking sections. I guess I've never been the biggest Andrew Lloyd Webber fan and, looking at the audience from our seats, I would say that I'm probably not the target market for the show but I'm still glad I saw it nonetheless. The cast and production overall were excellent so it's definitely worth checking out. Evita is at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until Saturday 13th May before heading to it's final stop on the tour, Milton Keynes. For tickets, check out the Grand Theatre website or ATG.
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