Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Gillian Lynne Theatre, London
Cast: Leighton Pugh, Aaron Krohn and Howard W. Overshown, Valentine Hanson, Simon Victor, Ali Berry, Cat Beveridge and Anyssa Neumann
On a cold September morning in 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is joined by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. 163 years later, the firm they establish - Lehman Brothers - spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy, triggering the largest financial crisis in history.
A play by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power, under the direction of Sam Mendes and West End direction of Rory McGregor; this three act play tells the story of the Lehman Brothers and how they built their firm from 1844 through 2008. The Lehman Trilogy makes its return to London’s West End until January at the Gillian Lynne Theatre.
The play has just three actors on stage playing every part from the brothers to their family members. The way that this was done from the staging, to the choreography, to the incredible trio of actors you almost forget that you’re watching a three hour show.
Structured in three acts (Three Brothers, Fathers and Sons, and Immortal) this is a story of perseverance to build a successful business in the dreamland, also known as America. It starts with Henry Lehman who began the family business, whom was brilliantly portrayed by Leighton. He starts the business along with his brothers in a country far from their own and reminds the viewer and anyone reading about the brothers to never give up.
Going into this play with no previous knowledge of the story of the Lehman brothers, I can say with ease it is one of the best plays I have seen this year. The five Tony Awards prove the excellence of this show.
The set from Es Devlin is so cleverly done. Set upon the revolve of the Gillian Lynne stage is an intimate space set up to look like an office. Around the stage are screens with projections of the outside world within the story that is being told. Devlin is truly a genius and this pairs extraordinarily well with Jon Clark’s lighting design and Luke Halls’ video design. I also truly adored the costume design of the tailored suits which was the work of Katrina Lindsay. The costuming was absolutely gorgeous. Another thing I truly admired was the choreography and movement which was under the stellar direction of Polly Bennett. The creative elements really made the story flow smoothly.
This leads me to the wonderful actors who never left the stage. In the performance I saw, we had Leighton Pugh on for the role of Henry Lehman. Pugh has a natural talent that has you hooked and mesmerised from the moment he steps onto the stage. Accompanying him was Howard W. Overshown as Emmanuel Lehman and Aaron Krohn as Mayer Lehman.
The chemistry these men have with each other is one of a kind. As mentioned previously, the actors do not just play the three brothers, they also play everyone else within the world of the Lehman’s. I don’t think I expected to laugh as much as I did. Overshown, Krohn, and Pugh are true masters of their craft and it shows. Aaron Krohn’s portrayal of Mayer Lehman, often referred to as "the potato", had lightning speed comedic timing and I thoroughly enjoyed watching his performance. Watching him go through the different stages of Mayer had me so invested and was definitely a highlight of the evening.
There is so much I could say about this show but I do not want to give too much away because it takes away from the beauty of the audience seeing it through their own eyes. One thing I will say is the piano accompaniment that goes along throughout the show was truly beautiful. Nick Powell’s composition was so tastefully executed by the gorgeous Cat Beveridge. The music really does help tell a story, but also has a story of its own.
The Lehman Trilogy is a wonderful tale of hard work, determination, chasing dreams, the importance of family and above all, resilience. Henry, Emmanuel and Mayer started with a small shop in Alabama and established a huge well-respected business. The show is currently playing at the Gillian Lynne until 5 January 2025. You do not want to miss this beautiful show.
You can book tickets to The Lehman Trilogy, here.
Review by Dani
**photo credit: Mark Douet**
No comments