Perfect Imperfection: The Lyrics of Robert Gould
Union Theatre, London, UK, November 6, 2022
Reviewed by Gavin Brock
Robert Gould, librettist and lyricist of no fewer than 10 new British musicals, presented a selection of songs from his current and most recent projects at the Union Theatre, London. Written with a number of musical collaborators, the stories presented covered an enormous scope of time and place. From Ptolemaic Egypt in 50 BC, through industrial riots in Victorian-era Wales, murder trials in 1960s Nebraska, and reflections on love in the present day, the material boasts an impressive and exciting range of dramatic subjects ripe for dramatical and musical exploration.
In front of the stripped theater’s bare brick wall, a talented ensemble of 12 West End and off-West End vocalists took to the stage to present the characters’ stories of love, loss, and yearning with passion and gusto that held the audience rapt for the concert’s 90-minute duration.
The evening’s title came from one of the songs written for Cleopatra the Musical, the first of the pieces showcased, written with composer Lyndon Samuel. Exploring Anthony’s attraction to the eponymous heroine, Samuel’s melodies evoked the unabashed romantic lyricism of a solid Andrew Lloyd Webber showtune, delivered here by Dylan Ross with charm and a lightness of touch.
The second of the pieces presented consisted of “Love Songs in Four Seasons,” a song cycle written with composer Bo Wastesson. With musical accompaniment by Alex James Ellison, vocalists Luke Byrne, Lowri Hamer, Gary Bland, and Laurel Dougall delivered Gould and Wastesson’s musical reflections on modern romance with wit and sincerity, reveling in the evening’s jazziest and more contemporary sounding of musical palettes.
Following a short interval, Kelsey Walsh delivered a powerful debut performance of “How Can I Stop the Rain” from Deadly, a musical currently in development with Lyndon Samuel. Set in 1950s Nebraska, the musical tells the true story of a teenage girl who, along with her boyfriend, was convicted on 11 counts of murder but protested her innocence up until the day she died years later in prison.
Finally, a selection of songs from My Land’s Shore, written with Christopher J. Orton, tell the story of Dic Penderyn and the Merthyr Rising of June 3, 1831. Having been nominated for three Off West End Awards, including Best New Musical, this is probably the most successful and well-known of Gould’s works. Orton’s luscious melodies married well with Gould’s lyrics and provided the evening’s most satisfying musical contrasts. There were heartfelt performances from the vocal ensemble that culminated in a stirring performance of the title song by James Evans-Jones.
Featuring promising new material and uniformly excellent performances, the evening provided an optimistic glimpse into the state of contemporary British musical theater in the hands of some very capable modern practitioners of the form. This reviewer looks forward to seeing more from Gould and his musical collaborators in the near future.
