Eirini Louskou and Oliver Gordon with the cast of The Book Thief at Curve Leicester. Picture: Pamela Raith
The Book Thief continues at Leicester Curve until 14 October 2023.
Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
The Book Thief is a new musical based on the celebrated novel by Markus Zusak. After receiving a successful initial presentation at Bolton Octagon last year (leading to a number of award nominations), the show is now playing at Curve in Leicester following a run at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, which is where I saw it.
Set in Nazi Germany during the Second World War, it’s the story of Liesl, a young girl who, after her brother dies, is sent to live with foster parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann. As she becomes aware of the horrors of the War, Liesl starts stealing books and is taught to read by Hans, learning how words have the power to both hurt and heal. At the same time, the Hubermanns help a young Jewish boxer named Max, whose father had served with Hans during the First World War. They hide Max in their basement where he strikes up a friendship with Liesl.
I wasn’t familiar with the book before seeing the show, but it feels like the adaptation is pretty faithful to the original source material (which stretches to 580 pages). Now big books can often make highly successful musicals (Les Misérables, anyone?) but, for me, part of the problem with The Book Thief is that, especially in the overly long first half, there’s quite a lot of plot to get through, some of which didn’t quite hold my attention.
And the musical numbers (by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson), although perfectly pleasant, just don’t stick with you. They slow the story down, and I often felt that the show might be better as a straight play without the music. I wanted the songs to touch my heart and mind, but sadly they didn’t.
This is a show about the importance of kindness and giving a voice to those who are silenced. Towards the end – and a bit too near the end really – Liesl starts to write down the stories of the people who the Nazis are killing. Maybe it’s not what Zusak intended, but I do wonder if there was somehow a way of exploring these stories earlier in the narrative.
In many ways The Book Thief echoes shows like Cabaret and The Sound of Music, admittedly big shoes to fill, but, unlike those musicals, the true evilness and devastation of the Nazis doesn’t quite cut through as emotionally as I think it needs to.
On the plus side, there are some great performances. I was particularly impressed with Mina Anwar as Rosa. Funny and touching, she manages to meld the caring and crotchety sides of her character beautifully. Jack Lord is equally appealing as her kind husband, Hans. On the night I saw the show, Liesl was played by Eirini Louskou. It’s the show’s central role and not an easy one, so I’m pleased to report she gives a confident and engaging performance. Similarly, Oliver Gordon as Rudy, a boy with whom Liesl has an off/on friendship with, is no less impressive.
There’s also assured direction by Lottie Wakeham and I found the choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves appropriately inventive. You can also tell the entire company, most of whom refreshingly use their own accents, is on top of what they are doing.
It’s always great to see the birth of a new musical. I certainly admired the ambition of the piece and, indeed, many of the performances, but I went away feeling less moved than I expected to.
Jack Rolfe