ELI GELB WAS THE BEATING HEART ALONGSIDE THE BEATING DRUMS OF THE PLAY

By Staff Writer | Press Invite

Stereophonic — the Tony-award winning play, not to be confused with the Welsh band Stereophonics — is a deeply immersive night with a band as good as making albums as making destructive choices to themselves and one another.

The play, by David Adjmi, buoyed by its incredible cast, pulls the audience into the ups (and uppers), and downs (and downers), of making an album that suddenly has the allure and fear of mass fame behind it.

Just when the audience questions why on earth these people are choosing to spend any time together, they come through with a song that quite literally shows how harmonized and synchronised they are, and how they can’t work or seemingly live without each other. 

Highlights of the play included winning performances from Lucy Karczewski as the initially reclusive lead singer, Diana, and Nia Towle as the band’s seemingly centred keyboardist. I particularly loved Zachary Hart as Reg, the drug addled bassist with a big, messy, soul.  

Eli Gelb proved why he was nominated for a Tony Award in the same role as the comic foil engineer, Grover, during the play’s run on Broadway. He was in many ways the beating heart alongside the beating drums of the play.  

It’s understandable that people see the play as a biography of Fleetwood Mac, with its Anglo-American bandmates and inter-personal dramas, in fact Adjimi settled out of court with Fleetwood Mac producer Ken Caillat over plagiarism claims involving his book, Making Rumours. 

My one major criticism of the play is that I found it ironic a play about artists’ egos was far too long. 

Given that it only takes place in one room, the band’s foibles can become oppressive and at times a little boring.

There are also protracted pauses between dialogue at times. I believe this is because the silence works as a counter to the music — a music advisers on the play once worked with Philip Glass — but during previews these silences sometimes felt more like the actors were flailing than intended to be quiet. 

That said, I did feel like the extensive world building in the first half paid off in the second. So, if you’re feeling a little exhausted halfway through I would recommend sticking with it.

I ultimately really liked this play. That said, at my performance there were empty seats during the second half and a standing ovation at the end, so I can imagine it will divide audiences in London more than it did in New York.

Stereophonic is running at Duke Of York’s Theatre until Saturday 11 October.

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Photo Credit: Marc Brenner