"Aspects Of Love" in Cardiff

The current UK tour production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Charles Hart/Don Black musical, Aspects Of Love, graces the stage of Cardiff's New Theatre this week on its way to 15 other venues, ending at Nottingham on March 22, 2008. On the evidence of the Cardiff staging, director Nikolai Foster, aided by a stark and stunningly atmospheric set designed by Rob Jones, has succeeded in breathing new life into this 1980 show, which boasts what is perhaps Lord Lloyd Webber's most romantic score.

The action begins in France in 1947, when English student Alex Dillingham falls in love with the enticing actress, Rose Vibert. The couple become drawn into an affair of passion until the arrival of Alex's uncle, George, begins a series of events that leads to some complex romantic and sexual relationships over a period of around 15 years. Further spice is added to the mix by George's friend and lover, the sculptress Guiletta and some years later Jenny, George and Rose's 15 year old daughter. The plot, based on David Garnett's controversial 1955 novel, explores various "aspects" of relationships - sexual attraction and desire that defied the conventions of the times, such as that of a young man for an older woman, older man for a younger woman, woman for woman, as well as paternal devotion, etc. Basically it examines the premise that "love changes everything".

The characters are finely drawn and the plot engages the audience throughout but the piece has some fatal flaws, mainly arising from the musically repetitive and lyrically inane recitative that runs through much of the show. Many of the scenes would be far better served by some crisp, biting dialogue and some clever sub-text. The music is generally beautiful - but when the same musical phrase is used time and again to re-enforce lines of speech, even beautiful music can have the listener almost ready to scream "please, no more!" But, despite this innate weakness in the fabric of the show, it is still hugely entertaining - not least because of the presence of some of Lloyd Webber's best showstoppers, including "Love Changes Everything", "Seeing Is Believing" and "Anything But Lonely".

The four principal performers do an admirable job. Matt Rawle  - though vocally not too comfortable in his higher register - is equally believable as the boyishly naïve 17 year old Alex and as his older self, torn apart by his lust for his 15 year old cousin and by his enduring love for Rose, a woman he cannot ever possess completely. David Essex commands the stage with immense presence as George and delivers his songs with a husky tone of truth. Poppy Tierney is magnificent as Giuletta - both sexy and fragile - and her rendition of "There Is More To Love" is a knock-out performance. And Shona Lindsay as Rose is even more magnificent. Her "eleven o'clock number", "Anything But Lonely" - when she lays her soul bare both vocally and dramatically - is a moment of particular magic.

One normally associates Andrew Lloyd Webber with the spectacular "mega-musical". Aspects of Love is his most intimate and perhaps (apart from The Beautiful Game) his most thought provoking musical. And though I came away from the theatre feeling I had been starved of the hard-edged dialogue that more articulate writing could have provided, I also came away "humming the tunes" (not surprising I suppose when you've heard the melodies about a hundred times during the two hours!) But that, I guess, is one of the "aspects" of Lloyd Webber's success.