John & Jen

Some shows come with lots of hype – all sequins and glitz. Usually they fail to live up to the hype. Then there are the perfect little diamonds which you need to have pointed out or you will never see them. John & Jen is a diamond; bringing us two marvellous performers, directed with genuine love, a delicate sung through score full of poignancy, charm and wit. It’s a little show, but it packs a big punch, and continues to affect you long after you leave the theatre.

Pursued By Bear is a relatively young company with young producers at the helm. They have already had success with critically acclaimed productions of Next to Normal and High Fidelity – this is a smaller show, but with similar emotional impact to Next to Normal. The fact that it has been rarely seen only strengthens the argument of how difficult it is to find real diamonds.

Director Mark Taylor clearly loves the show and he handles it with a gentle passion and a clear vision. Nothing is wasted; everything has meaning….and everyone involved shares the same vision.

Basically the first act explores the relationship of Jen with her younger brother from the time of his birth. The second act sees Jen grown and a mother, with a son of her own. In between there is a potted history of American life from the fifties to the eighties. Lippa and Greenwald provide songs that are always good, but not earth shattering, memorable but not catchy. It’s a quality score, but not a Gob-smacking one. Nevertheless this is a far better show than their earlier The Wild Party.

Jaclyn DeVincentis (as the sister/mother of the title) and Brenton Cosier (as brother/son John) are both superb. These are not easy roles. For the first act the two are playing children aged from birth to young adults of 18. That’s notoriously hard to pull off, yet Taylor’s direction focuses the performance of both brilliantly. The voices are spectacular throughout and appropriately “tuned” to the ages they are.

DeVincentis is a powerhouse performer. I have reviewed her several times in Community Theatre productions where she has literally stolen the show. She is one of those Merman type Divas who bombards you with charisma and makes you wonder why she is not on the main stage. Yet here there is a softness, a vulnerability I haven’t seen before. She plays uncertainty, idealism and guilt with absolute truth, as in the terrific “Hold The Fort”. If she seems more comfortable in the second act, which allows her to be harder and in your face, it is still with underlying fragility and uncertainty, She reduced me to tears with the terrific 11 o’clock number – “The Road Ends Here”…where she finally finds the strength to let go of the past. Apart from the stunning vocals, and the fact that this is a sung through show, she also is brilliant in the acting department. It’s one of the strongest performances I’ve seen by a female artist this year, and I’ve seen a lot.

Brenton Cosier is delightful, and his light tenor is pure and appealing. Though the two have no familial likeness, you believe they are related simply through the strength of the connection between them. Cosier shines in songs like “Bye Room” and there are powerhouse duets for them both like “Graduation” and “Every Goodbye is Hello”.

Sarah Tulloch’s set is an absolute triumph. The higgledy-piggledy children’s fort, made of scrap wood and old curtains, doubles as a dug out in the Vietnam War, and the graveyard and works as all three. Two huge boxes contain all props and are moved to convey a bed, chairs, tables and even a baseball stand. Imaginative in all respects and very impressive. Bryn Cullen’s lighting is good….but it feels like he needed a few more lights at his disposal in places.  Tyson Legg is Musical Director and provides another triumph of three exceptional musicians Stephen McMahon-Piano, Sophie Anderson – Cello (divine) and Dave George-percussion.