Lizzie

© Feast Creative. photography: Matt Crockett

"LIZZIE The Musical" knows exactly what it wants to be, and the strength of its material is a testament to its success in numerous productions worldwide. Based on the true story of Lizzie Borden, who was acquitted for the brutal murder of her father and stepmother in 1892, creators Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Tim Maner, and Alan Stevens Hewitt capture the intensity of female rage, repression, and vulnerability in this 80-minute operatic rock musical. The show distills these themes through its four female characters, offering another lens on Lizzie's notorious legacy.

This production at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester returns for a limited run following last year’s success, which led to a London transfer. It’s evident that the show creatively draws influence from SIX the Musical, particularly in its empowerment of female characters through the framework of a musical concert. Despite the material being written prior to SIX, the style and influence of the creative choices feels tailor-made for the show however some creative choices weakened this production and distracted from the story.

The narrative leans into the darker interpretation of Lizzie’s story, suggesting through its intense, trauma-laden tone that she did indeed "take an axe and give her mother 40 whacks." However, at just over an hour, the show feels rushed. As it is also split into two acts, it does feel as though the story lacked some substance and skimmed over the surface of many themes that could have been explored further considering the quantity of aspects in this story that are actually already covered. Particularly, many of Lizzie's relationships could be explored further, with both on and off stage characters, but the performers work hard to convey the complexities of these making the most of every emotional beat making for a convincing and strong quartet standing behind the unravelling of Lizzie's story.

Kayleigh Mcknight (Six, Heathers) as Lizzie proves her versatility as an actress in this role as we see her naivety and vulnerability collapse into a dark, twisted and maddening performance after she commits the murder of her father and step-mother. Her powerful vocals lend well to the material and fills the auditorium with impressive strength whilst her performance of This Is Not Love was raw, tender and yet just uncomfortable enough to understand the characters murderous motivations.

Katie Tonkinson (Bat out of hell, Bonnie & Clyde) , as Alice, the Borden's neighbour, has a sweet demeanour that contrasts well with the other characters. She has extraordinary vocal ability and the exploration of her feelings toward Lizzie was gentle and sensitively done. Jennifer Caldwell (Six, Kathy and Stella) as Bridget the Irish maid, was excellent in providing some comic relief among the darker story that particularly shone in her asides to the audience and more narrative dialogue. I also really appreciated her dulcet tones during motifs in the score that fell upon the characters heritage and sounded akin to Irish folk music. Finally, completing our cast, Emilie Louise Israel (Hamilton, House of Cleopatra) as Emma Borden, Lizzie's sister, delivered a fierce performance of What the F**k Now, Lizzie?! and was able to also demonstrate beautiful more classical vocal technique in songs like Watchmen for the Morning. Her character felt less developed than the others but her influence over Lizzie was clear. In short, this production is a must-see based on the strength of the cast alone and their ridiculous vocals.

Clearly, the score demands a powerful quartet of rock vocalists & as previously mentioned, it is clear why director and choreographer, William Whelton of the Hope Mill Theatre took influence from SIX for this production. However, unlike SIX the girl-group feel of the production sometimes felt ineffective. The reason it works for one and not the other for me falls to the fact that SIX tells individual stories of each character whom have an overarching connection and clear group motive; whereas in LIZZIE, the 4 characters are helping to tell just 1 narrative and how they played a part in Lizzie’s story, requiring more interaction and less solo moments, making the girl-band moments feel forced at times. The sporadic use of handheld mics, while enhancing the punk-rock sound of certain songs, often detracted from character interaction, emphasising the vocals over the emotional core of the story. The times when I felt it was used effectively was during narrative elements of songs like Somebody Will Do Something as Lizzie describes the events of her taking the axe and killing Mr and Mrs Borden. This was climactic and dramatic with the use of the handheld mic in demonstrating the characters rage that lends itself to the punk rock influences of the song, but not all occasions felt impactful and justified this way. Similarly, the ensemble choreography like that of a girl band or back-up dancers within solo performances felt overly stylised and disconnected from the story. It often felt like sections of choreography were added when the score leant itself to a dance break and felt unnatural for the characters who themselves were not established in the contemporary setting the music is in. This, paired with the decision to have the ensemble change into modern clothing for the finale felt unnecessary and I am unsure of the purpose this aimed to serve further demonstrating how the girlband element for these characters falls flat as they are not united by a singular cause but instead independent characters involved in the same story.

In conclusion, despite some missteps in creative direction, LIZZIE The Musical remains an intense, gripping production that benefits immensely from its powerhouse cast and score. While the girl-band aesthetic didn’t always serve the story, the show’s exploration of female rage, trauma, and empowerment is resonant, particularly in today's climate. For fans of rock musicals with a darker edge, LIZZIE delivers an engaging, albeit slightly uneven, theatrical experience that is worth watching for its bold performances and stirring musical numbers. This run is on at the Hope Mill Theatre until November 10th