Written by Kieran Lynn
Storyhouse Originals
Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester
July 25-August 31, 2024; 2 hrs 30 mins
It is quite ambitious to take the popular and intense Martin Scorcese film and adapt it in a musical format to an open air stage in the round.
Gangs of New York, adapted by Kieran Lynn from Herbert Asbury’s 1927 novel, depicts a violent conflict between gangs in a new, growing city. It would be easy to overdo or trivialise the violence, but this production avoids both errors and makes this an intense, political drama with strong themes of humour and romance.
The play tracks the progress of Irish immigrants from their arrival by ship to their acceptance in New York society. By fair means and foul one of them becomes a congressman, aided by a campaign masterminded by his fiercely-independent wife, who abandoned a wealthy lifestyle to pursue their loving relationship, legalising and normalising his business dealings as she did so.
The cast members are excellent in constructing a pacy, involved production with plenty of crowd interaction, which is something audiences at this theatre have come to expect and enjoy. James Sheldon is a moody, brutal Bill the Butcher, who could easily give some people nightmares. Robert Maskell, as Fernando Wood, is a convincing, crooked politician, changing his allegiances according to who pays the highest kickback. Four members of the Storyhouse Young Company - Hannah Rose Curtis, Francesca Davidson, Cai Gruffudd and Harry Peaker - play a range of roles and bring energy and vitality to the production.
The story is remarkably contemporary, focusing on a group of immigrants attempting to settle in New York and facing extreme, violent prejudice from more settled inhabitants. References to boatloads of immigrants pouring over the Atlantic to scrounge their way into American life are resonant of one of today's thorniest issues.
Other social issues also explored: the ability to turn rags to riches through hard work and opportunism, for example, and the need for women’s emancipation and education, to enable lives other than child bearing and pleasing husbands.
Despite this being a serious, intense play, there is a real sense of fun in it and the script develops a couple of romances nicely, making this a thoroughly enjoyable evenings entertainment.
With plenty of pizza and Prosecco available, it is well worth checking out this production..
Tickets and information here
