It’s been a few days since we saw The Book Thief but it’s haunting me still. Maybe because it is so very prescient or maybe because it’s a tale for all times….of man’s cruelty to man but the strength of human kindness providing some light even in the darkest of times. And who better to guide us through this tale than the master storyteller Melanie LaBarrie?
If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you’ll know that VK is quite the MLB fan, having seen her a couple of times as Hermes in Hadestown and even met her at a meet and greet earlier this year:
I saw her last ever performance as Hermes, where the warmth felt for her was incredible and it was the same at MusicalCon last year. I do have a review of MusicalCon 2025 brewing by the way but I’m a bit behind on blogging. Blame the manics, among others.
So the idea of MLB as Death, narrating The Book Thief was intriguing and she did not disappoint. She was funny, poignant, even tragic at times but brilliant as ever. She was born to tell stories and this was perfect for her. If this is what death is really like – a hug from Melanie LaBarrie – then none of us should fear it. I’m welling up on the Victoria Line even as I write this.
But this production was more than just one person. To rewind a little and give some context- this was billed as a staged concert. So not a fully produced show but with some acting around the songs. It was actually much more developed than that – there were costumes, props and scenes as you’d expect from a full production. There was even choreography. The set was very basic but if you hadn’t told me it was “in development” then I would have just assumed it was another Jamie Lloyd happening.
The story is fairly simple – a couple in Nazi Germany foster a small girl who has a habit of stealing books she can’t read. The small girl, Liesl, was played by Estella Evans and her foster parents were played by Jack Lord and Cat Simmons.
I know I’ve watched the film before but I’m not sure whether I’ve ever read the book. I definitely cannot nitpick on the scale that I did for Ballet Shoes. But I do think some changes were made in terms of the order of events and occasionally that showed in the plot. There was a thread involving the mayor’s wife that never really developed beyond a couple of scenes and I wonder if that was a remnant of a previous version where Liesl ends up living with the mayor and his wife as she does in the book.
But that one plot bump aside, the show makes perfect sense. There isn’t a huge amount that happens but it’s about regaining a sense of family even in the midst of horror around you. Part of that family is Jewish boxer Max (Isaac Gryn) who is hidden in the cellar and with whom Liesl makes an unbreakable bond. It’s implied that he’s taken to a concentration camp but then returns at the end for a happyish ending. Sorry, I should have spoiler-warninged that shouldn’t I?
One thing I won’t spoiler is the tragedy of the piece, which was an emotional high point. We certainly both cried so much that I considered calling in sick to work the next day. When Death is your narrator, you know that she is going to visit some of the characters you care about but still….it was absolutely heartwrenching.
It’s not all sadness though. There is lightness to be found along the way too, especially as Liesl and her friend Rudy (Blake Graham) run around the town, oblivious to the growing horrors around them. There are some gorgeous moments with skies full of stars appearing just above the stage. There’s also a snowball fight with Max in the cellar (“Bring in the Cheer”) and a song about how much a wife hates her husband’s accordion playing (“Dreadful”). VK laughed out loud several times, especially at Melanie La Barrie’s perfectly-timed jokes. Although I’m not sure whether the “Mein Kampf 2016” line was a joke or just a fact.
So there’s humour and joy but there are also some intense moments. There are also some very timely reminders about how fascism can take hold of ordinary people because it’s easier to think as everyone else does, rather than resist. With all the tension in the world at the moment, it’s a bold time to stage a musical that wholly condemns extremism but it’s a message the world needs. It’s beautiful, it’s challenging and it’s only in London for a very limited time so I would urge you to act quickly if you do want to see it for yourself.
Afterwards, we were in desperate need of restorative carbs and it was raining far too much to do stage door, so we wandered down Brewer Street to find VK’s current restaurant of choice – Honest Burger. And here was the beacon of hope shining through the rain:
False hope, as it turns out. The branch was about to close because of kitchen problems so we had to walk back down the length of Brewer Street to find another branch. Eventually though, we had our chips and all was well. Don’t ask about Monday morning…
“The Book Thief” has two more shows on 26th October. For tickets and more info, click here
No disclaimer needed as I paid for this show. All opinions remain honest and my own.
