Bare is, in my opinion, one of the most underappreciated musicals. Ever since I first heard it it has been a favourite but I always knew the chance of seeing it live was going to be small. So when I read The Depot Theatre in Sydney were producing it I was extremely excited. I had some trepidation though, one of my favourite musicals- would this smaller independent group be able to pull it off?
The answer? Yes, yes they pulled it off. And it was wonderful.
The musical is what is classified as a “pop rock opera” which sounds strange, but to better describe it: Bare is a cleverly written musical full of wit and sass (and epic one liners) accompanied by some really beautiful music. It’s a bit of an emotional roller coaster of comedy, drama and tragedy. The story it tells is modern, honest and absolutely heart wrenching- taking us into the lives of two boys at a Catholic Boarding School who are lovers in secret.
And it’s not just about their immediate relationship- it’s also about their relationship with their friends, their family, their religion. It’s written in such a way that nothing is too directly jabbed at, just strongly prodded, at the reality of some situations and the impact this has on those around it.
Now, back to this particular production at the Depot. First things first- I was SO happy that they performed the original version of the musical. There have been revisions over the years and I feel that some of the revisions have lost some of the soul of the musical- leave a great thing as it is I say! So kudos for getting the “right” version!
Next- Bare relies heavily on a cast that is able to communicate their character’s story and emotions to the audience. It is a musical all about its people, and this cast really managed that well. The smaller venue also suited the more intimate performance.
The real standouts for me were Peter (Aaron Robuck) and Nadia (Natalie Abbott). The whole cast were great, but these two had really outstanding performances.
Peter is a tricky one as he has to come off a little bit fragile, soft, expressive, righteous, and still capture a really strong performance vocally. Essentially he’s the epitome of a teddy bear that you want to hug that sings really well. And Robuck pulls this off wonderfully. He’s got Peter right vocally with great tone, but it’s also in his facial expressions. Some of my favourite emotions come through in the subtle moments when Peter’s slightly off stage just looking on, and Robuck really stayed true to the expressions through all these. His tipsy moments were also incredibly cute, and well… let’s say Peter’s sadder moments were real and affecting. “Wedding Bells” was perhaps my favourite scene for Peter in this production.
Abbott absolutely nailed Nadia, and was easily one of the best vocally on stage. I found myself anticipating all her songs, waiting to see what she did with them, and being thoroughly amazed at the strength of each. Plain Jane Fat Ass was a great intro piece full of sass and that sad self-degradation that unfortunately plagues her character. Quiet Night At Home is the real heart wrencher and she didn’t falter once despite the jumps in emotion and volume and the tears on her face. And she brought on an actual cello to play during Spring– props girl!
By the end, as is the power of Bare, there was not a dry eye in the theatre. At least one could take comfort in the shared sniffling, snuffling, and attempts at inconspicuously swiping away tears.
This is honestly such a beautifully written musical that is full of real people with real emotions and an important story to tell. If you like musicals like RENT then you’ll definitely love this one too. But either way I’d recommend everyone just take this rare opportunity and make sure you see Bare live. Who knows, maybe one day it will be more commonly performed when people start to realize its greatness, but for now- don’t miss it!!
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See the best kept secret that is Bare at The Depot Theatre, playing until the 17th December. For more information and to book visit thedepottheatre.com
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