A Face in the Crowd ★★★ Young Vic | Sep 10 - Nov 9, 2024


Based on the 1957 film of the same name, this theatrical production, with music and lyrics from Elvis Costello, considers some controversial current issues. When a local radio presenter who has a show that focuses on ordinary people interviews a drunk from the local jail, she manages to create a celebrity who goes on to become the toast of New York and an opinion maker who can influence American politics at the highest level. Lonesome Rhodes, the demagogue who emerges from her somewhat Dr Frankenstein experiment, is a combination of Will Rogers and George Wallace, and perhaps a little heavy-handedly, he prefigures the USA's latest embodiment of the populist charlatan who has always been a presence on the American political scene. As Lonesome moves from talk radio to television his views become ever more right-wing, his philandering more obvious and his hypocrisy more heinous. One of the problems with this narrative is that we never believe in Lonesome's man-of-the-people act. He is clearly a grifter from the beginning. There is no real arc of moral development and decay as he reaches even higher echelons of influence. Similarly, it is difficult to care very much about his creator, the abetter of Lonesome's fame, Marcia who seems to be in on the con from the beginning. She only begins to balk when he spurns her for another woman, and then begins to see her culpability for his creation? It is the lack of emotional connection with these amoral characters that unfortunately robs the show of much of its impact. Nevertheless, Ramin Karimloo brings a strong presence and nice voice to his role as Lonesome. However, his folksiness always seems so contrived that it is difficult to believe he ever had a real connection with his audience. As Marcia, Anoushka Lucas nicely catches the flavour of the 1950s portrayal of a no-nonsense career woman, and her rendition of the deeply ironic "No Man's Woman" is one of the show's most powerful moments. With some appealing melodies and sharp lyrics, Elvis Costello's score definitely makes the show worth the price of admission. His work ranges across a wide variety of genres, from 1950s ditties through country ballads to some very catchy show tunes. The title song, "A Face in the Crowd," is definitely a stand-out hit, and it neatly confronts the pernicious nature of populism which thrives on a sense of alienation.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Ellie Kurttz

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