Parade

Synopsis

Based upon real events, Parade tells the story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man accused of murdering a thirteen-year-old factory girl in a small town in Georgia in 1913. Witness a people that thirst for a conviction, the gripping court room drama that subsequently unfolds and the touching love story between Leo and his wife, Lucille. Parade shows a quest for justice which is resisted by a world filled with racial and religious tensions but ultimately illustrates the enduring power of love and self-belief against all odds. Follow this gripping journey: from the shocking discovery of the murdered child, through the corrupt murder investigation, past the court case that became known as ‘The Trial of the Century' and Lucille's efforts to clear her husband's name, towards the show's thrilling conclusion.

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 18 August 2011

It seemed a good idea to have another look at Parade, the Tony Award-winning 1998 Broadway musical that choreographer Rob Ashford directed so brilliantly at the Donmar Warehouse four years ago.

But something’s gone seriously wrong with Thom Southerland’s revival in the dark, dank vaults of the Southwark Playhouse. For a start, the sound system is harsh, horrible and too loud. It’s disconcerting enough in a small space not to hear the voice au naturel but miked out of all recognition is unbearable.

Secondly, the maudlin, emotional side of the story, in which a Jewish factory manager in Atlanta, 1913, is arraigned for murdering a teenaged girl on the grounds that he was the last person to see her alive, needs undercutting, not over-milking, as here.

And thirdly, in this version, the central story of racism, perjury and a witch-hunt straight out of The Crucible seems unattached to its framing references to the Civil War and the ...

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Latest User Review

Gavin - 6 October 2011:

Engaging and Provocative. Outstanding Performance from all cast and crew. The best show I've ever seen in London....

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