Following its 2024 premiere at The Watermill Theatre, Calum Finlay’s comedy play about the overlooked German composer, Fanny Mendelssohn is now playing at the King’s Head Theatre. Returning to the lead role is Mischief Theatre’s Charlie Russell, who wields the baton alongside a fresh company for this reworked production.
If someone were to mention the composer F. Mendelssohn, you might be forgiven for assuming that they meant Felix rather than his lesser-known sister, Fanny. Distinctly less famous on the grounds of being female, Fanny Mendelssohn was an accomplished pianist and composer in her own right, although several of her works were published under her brother’s name. Fanny shines a spotlight on this fascinating character, giving her the chance to grasp the glory that eluded her during her lifetime.
It’s a big day in the Mendelssohn household, as the eldest daughter is due to be wooed by a suitor. Fanny’s mother, Lea (Kim Ismay) is desperate to get her daughter married off – but not quite as keen as Fanny’s younger sister, Rebecka (Danielle Phillips), who can’t start responding to her own many admirers until Fanny’s off the market.
Fanny has always been rather fond of artist, Wilehm Hensel (Riad Richie), but she’s not up for settling down if it means she has to choose between marriage and music. She’d rather stay single and focus on writing music with brother Felix (Daniel Abbott) – at least until she discovers that he’s been passing off one of her compositions as his own. It just so happens to be Queen Victoria’s favourite work, so when Fanny finds a letter inviting the composer to a private concert at the palace, there’s only one place she wants to go.
It’s an entertaining production throughout, beginning as a light comedy full of witty wordplay before lurching into full-blown farce in Act 2. Some might welcome this change of pace, while others may find it jarring. There’s a heavy dose of audience participation to wake everyone up after the interval, which Charlie Russell conducts masterfully, despite the dangers of bashing glass bottles live on stage. Sit in the front row at your peril!
There are accomplished comedy performances from the entire cast, but especially from Jeremy Lloyd who never misses a beat as (amongst other parts) Fanny’s simpleton brother, Paul (Jeremy Lloyd). Kim Ismay is also excellent in a range of roles including Fanny’s mother, Lea and a German barmaid with an inexplicable Brummie accent.
Although it’s a lot of fun, there is an element of pathos running through the play that tries to rear its head as a tear-jerking climax during the chaos of Act 2. It’s powerfully performed but doesn’t have the impact that it might have if it wasn’t surrounded by so much noise. There’s a lot squashed into this second Act, and it starts to feel a little disjointed, with constant shifts in tone and several almost endings. That being said, it’s an engaging piece that rightfully celebrates the almost forgotten F. Mendelssohn.
Fanny plays at the King’s Head Theatre from Friday 10 October to Saturday 15 November. We received a complimentary ticket to the press performance on Thursday 16 October.
Image credit: David Monteith-Hodge Photography