Stephen Sondheim’s musical review finally gets a belated London premiere. First performed in Oxford in 1992, it did what the highly successful Side by Side by Sondheim had done seventeen years previously on both sides of the Atlantic in large and small theatres and university campuses. It took the songs from his musicals and presented them in a revue format.
Sondheim once thought compilation shows of songs were boring and he has described Putting It Together as “a pleasant but awkward revue which made the mistake of trying to shoehorn songs of different styles and tone into a story line.” Forget the story-line. The songs, sophisticated, clever and literate, work surprisingly well out of context as miniature one-act plays, dramatic monologues and duologues, about marriage and sour relationships.
The present highly enjoyable production is a wonderful showcase for the talented David Bedella, Daniel Crossley, Janie Dee, Damian Humbley and Caroline Sheen. One show stopping number follows another; and, as always, with any Sondheim musical, you come out of the theatre wanting immediately to read his witty lyrics. High spots include Everybody Ought to Have a Maid from Forum, Sooner or Later from Dick Tracy, Country House, Could I Leave You and Buddy Blues from Follies, Good Thing Going from Merrily We Roll Along and Not Getting Married Today from Company.