sun 10/11/2024

The Cradle Will Rock, Arcola Theatre | reviews, news & interviews

The Cradle Will Rock, Arcola Theatre

The Cradle Will Rock, Arcola Theatre

Bags of energy in the old Arcola's swansong, but Blitzstein's piece sucks

Aaron Shirley's corrupt supremo meets his match in steelworker Larry Foreman (Chris Jenkins)All photos by Robert Workman

Events surrounding the birth of the unrepentantly "un-American" Marc Blitzstein's early (1936-7) shot at socially aware music-theatre prove much more interesting than the show itself. Heck, I got more out of reading the programme than I did sitting through the whole darned thing. Let's face it, Blitzstein's mostly foursquare marriage of words and music sucks. Not that the dynamic Mehmet Ergen's latest Arcola team didn't give it their best shot.

Events surrounding the birth of the unrepentantly "un-American" Marc Blitzstein's early (1936-7) shot at socially aware music-theatre prove much more interesting than the show itself. Heck, I got more out of reading the programme than I did sitting through the whole darned thing. Let's face it, Blitzstein's mostly foursquare marriage of words and music sucks. Not that the dynamic Mehmet Ergen's latest Arcola team didn't give it their best shot.

It's a piece anyone who agrees with Blitzstein's campaign against art solely for aesthetes wants to like

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