Follies, The Capitol, Horsham, review: HAODS presents a glamorous musical with a truly poignant story

With fans, feathers, bright lights, dazzling costumes and a variety of impractical headdresses, Horsham’s amateur stars have truly made Follies a feast for the eyes.

The band, under the direction of James Lelean, accompany the extravaganza beautifully, capturing the unhinged joy of American musical theatre in the early 20th century and nailing that heady and boisterous sound.

But behind this glamorous facade is a tale of regret, self-deceit and lost youth.

The musical, by James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim, is set in the Weismann Theatre in 1971. Once a bustling Broadway venue, it’s now ready for demolition. But Dimitri Weismann is determined to have one final blowout, inviting his former Follies girls from the ’30s and ’40s to a big party in the theatre. The actresses reminisce, chat about their current lives and even perform some song and dance numbers for a laugh.

Into this walks Sally Durant Plummer, a Follies girl from the ’40s who is married to a salesman called Buddy. She meets former co-star Phyllis, who has married the politician Benjamin Stone. As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that all four were friends – Phyllis and Sally were roommates while Ben and Buddy were best pals in school. It also becomes apparent that Sally was romantically involved with Ben but this fell apart when Ben chose to marry Phyllis.

That’s probably the simplest way to explain the knotty backstory. As the evening progresses each character confronts their old feelings, the feelings they still have, the choices they made (or didn’t) and the ways in which life has ground them down. They’re also followed by the ghosts of their younger selves as the play switches between past and present.

It’s a complicated look at human relationships and all the performers present very believable characters.

Audrey Lucas is wonderful as Phyllis, showing a woman who has become bitter and cynical thanks to a marriage that lost its spark decades ago. But she also reveals some conflict, hinting at a strange attachment to her husband in ‘Could I leave You?’

Rachel Farrant doesn’t have as much complexity to work with as young Phyllis but handles the musical numbers and choreography very well.

Martin Bracewell belts out a brilliantly angry musical number as Buddy, expressing the salesman’s chaotic mental state after seeing Ben and Sally kiss. Buddy is sympathetic but silly, singing and dancing in a way that suggests he’s mocking himself.