AFTER success in London’s West End, the cast of Woody Sez are touring the UK.

Their one-night-only stop at York’s Grand Opera House saw a far from filled auditorium last Friday, but an enthusiastic one all the same. The last of Woody’s songs to be performed was met with (admittedly off-beat) clapping. Eleanor Brunsdon, Ruth Clarke-Irons, Will Wolfe Hogan and David M. Lutken form the cast, with Lutken as Woody.

The play’s style echoes that of Woody’s own narrative-style songs. He has a storyteller role, Lutken's Woody directly addressing the audience, before fitting himself into the scenes the others create. This makes for a lack of action where some would have made his words all the more powerful.

The stories of the two house fires in his life - one started by his mother that left her in a mental asylum and his father in hospital; the second killing his daughter - would have benefited from this.

There’s no way to deny the exquisite musical and vocal talents of the actors, despite the lulls caused by the narrative style. Each commanded multiple instruments with ease and flourish. Their voices knitted together perfectly, creating a catchy smoothness despite the politically-charged content of the songs.

Overall, the musical is one for those who want to hear Woody’s songs - the cast cover more than 25 of them - rather than for a complete immersion into the hardships of his life.

Review by Ellie Green