I started this year with a resolve to see more shows that are new to me, kicking off with a ballet and an unexpected early entrance to the SIX queendom in Cardiff. I’m pleased to say the trend has so far been continuing and earlier this month I headed back to London to catch a preview of the new musical adaptation of The Prince of Egypt.

Though the film was released in 1998 when I was eight, I didn’t come across it until my early teens, and from that time to this day, it’s one of my absolute favourite films: I especially adore its score from Hans Zimmer, the voice cast and of course the songs from Stephen Schwartz. The film, produced by DreamWorks, is a blend of traditional animation and CGI, grossing over $218 million worldwide, making it at the time the most successful non Disney animated feature. As I got older I would often watch and think how wonderful it might be were it re-imagined for the stage: musically I just feel it was epic enough and had the sense of grandeur and scale that might work really well. Imagine my excitement and intrigue when it was announced that the musical, having originally premiered in development back in 2017 in California would be making its London premiere for a limited time at the Dominion.

For those that don’t know, The Prince of Egypt is an adaptation of the Exodus story from the Bible. Found as a baby, young Moses grows up a Prince of Egypt with his brother Rameses, living in the lap of luxury whilst the slaves toil to build their legacy for them. One fateful day, a dark secret comes to light that threatens to break their bond of brotherhood as Moses must face his true destiny whilst Rameses is being primed to wear the crown.

Steven Schwartz has returned at the music/lyrics helm, and for the most part, I was happy to see all but one of the film’s songs included (Playing with the Big Boys is omitted, but the section reeling off the Egyptian gods is present elsewhere) and just hearing the opening notes of Deliver Us gave me goosebumps, I was so sad to see my favourite number from the film: The Plagues so revised, but intrigued to see what Schwartz would do with the opportunities for new music to flesh out the story. He’s added ten new songs here, I think personally with mixed success: mainly because they seemingly just serve to point out what we’ve seen rather than drive the story forward, and lyrically aren’t as striking as their film cousins. That being said, musically the whole thing feels sweeping and luscious and I really enjoyed Tziporrah’s solo: Dance to the Day as it establishes her immediately as the spirited force of nature who challenges Moses’ way of thinking and in that you know that their relationship will continue to develop, and I found Moses’ Act II number: For the Rest of My Life incredibly poignant and moving.

It’s the ensemble songs: Deliver Us, “Simcha! Chagigah!” and When You Believe that are true highlights; the cast pack them with so much power and emotional intensity: the harmonies are so intricate and done with such precision, that the sound they create is utterly glorious; The Dominion’s vast space is filled with a rich, warm sound that lifted my spirits and sends a chill down my spine.

From a design point of view, what struck me was the simplicity of the set. Kevin Depinet and projection designer Jon Driscoll create some striking backdrops of the pyramids, hieroglyphics and so on, but unfortunately from my vantage point in the theatre it’s hard to appreciate all of these to their full effect. It’s the lighting by Mike Billings that I loved best, I found it really atmospheric and loved the combo of colours. The costumes by Ann Hould-Ward are predominantly white, gold and glitter, and I especially loved Queen Tuya’s dresses!

There’s no denying the determination and ambition at play in the production as a whole, but this for me is where things don’t quite work as well as they could. Scott Schwartz’s direction is so full to bursting with ideas that the shifts in tone can be quite jarring, and dialogue, so brilliant in the film, can fall a bit flat. As a huge fan of the film, I felt like the tone of it got lost during important scenes: especially when Moses returns to confront Ramses. Moses, having just had this life altering experience returns to do the task he’s given, and it descends into the two of them regressing back into brash young boys we see at the beginning of the show moaning about their respective wives. It loses its emotional impact in places in light of this, but there are moments that I found handled beautifully and wish the focus were more consistent.

Where this production truly comes alive in my eyes, is the choreography. Sean Cheesman has done some clever work here: dancers become the Nile, sand dunes and the burning bush and pull off some of the most exciting lifts and other movement I’ve seen onstage: it’s so intricate and brilliantly executed; the energy and ease the ensemble perform it with is astonishing. There’s joy abounding in certain scenes as well: I’d love to learn to dance like a Midian!

In my mind, the cast, too are worth their weight in gold. I last saw Luke Brady onstage eight years back and I’m so proud to see him in a leading role. He makes Moses likeable and charming immediately, but there’s a sweetness and vulnerability about him that is perfectly judged that serves the character very well in later scenes. Not forgetting his stunning vocal, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Another face I haven’t seen in way too long, Liam Tamne makes a striking Ramses, and it’s great watching him transition from an insecure young man so desperate for his father’s approval into the ruler he must become. Something that I thought worked well for the stage was it makes Ramses’ inner conflict more overt, and I found it much easier to sympathise with him as a character. Liam really understands this dynamic and the depth and nuance he gives his portrayal is brilliant.

For all my issues about the show losing sight of the film’s tone when it comes to the relationship between Moses and Ramses, the chemistry between Luke and Liam is undeniable, and it’s so fun watching them bounce of each other.

Though The Prince of Egypt is a story about two brothers, it’s hard to forget the power of the women, one might say that Moses would be lost without them! There’s quiet and incredibly endearing strength to Alexia Khadime’s Miriam, and Christine Allado’s powerful, spirited Tziporrah is worth the ticket price alone. Luke and Christine share a charming chemistry; I particularly loved the new scene leading up to their new duet where he’s using the sheep to try and express his feelings for her!

Gary Wilmot shines as Jethro, his limited stage time forgiven just for the sheer joy I get from seeing that smile light up the stage once more. Debbie Kurup and Joe Dixon also manage to make Queen Tuya and Pharaoh Seti infinitely more interesting than the film allowed; I found them both incredibly charismatic and engaging, and Adam Pearce cuts a formidable figure as Hotep.

As I said at the beginning, when I saw the show it was still in previews so no doubt will have changed and continue to grow and develop. For all that I felt didn’t quite work, there is lots I loved about this show. The cast are amazing and I look forward to continuing to supporting them and I’d encourage everyone to do the same.

https://www.theprinceofegyptmusical.com/tickets/