Midnight Cowboy - A New Musical ★★ Southwark Playhouse, Borough | Apr 4 - May 17, 2025


James Leo Herlihy's novel of 1965, which was later made into a very successful film, tells the story of naïve young man, Joe Buck, who comes to New York City to get rich as a gigolo. He discovers that his chosen career path is not as simple to pursue as he thought, and he ends up being taken advantage of by both his clients and by his new acquaintance, Ratso. The latter is a disabled survivor who knows how to work the streets and who is as shrewd as Joe is gullible. Oddly enough, despite their initial differences, these two outsiders become friends. They start to depend on each other and come to share a dream which is to escape their current hardship and to flee to the paradise of Florida. Herlihy's book and the film neatly contrasted the shocking grittiness of life on the streets and the touching relationship of the two broken dreamers. It was a sentimental tour de force, but it is not an easy balance to achieve – and it doesn't quite work here. While Max Bowden gets it largely right in the Dustin Hoffman role as Ratso, we never quite believe in Paul Jacob French's Joe. He doesn't quite hit that note of wide-eyed credulity that is required. Playing simple is always devilishly difficult. In a variety of roles, Tori Allen-Martin stands out and displays considerable vocal talents, but unfortunately, she does not have a lot to work with. The score seems generic and uninspired, and the singing during the sex scenes is simply weird. In fact, in comparison to the unforgettable "Everybody's Talkin'," which was Harry Nilsson's signature song for the film, the score just doesn't stand up. Similarly, the choreographic interludes seem squeezed into the show simply to satisfy its billing as a musical. They lack any originality and fail to rise organically from the story. Midnight Cowboy - A New Musical as a tale of ill-fated friendship still resonates, but this musical version does not produce any added value.

Rated: ★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Pamela Raith

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD, UK

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