Marti casts a magic spell

THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK

(Opera House, Manchester)

ORIGINALLY presented in London with a bigger set, more magic effects, a starrier cast and a longer book and score, this pared stage musical version of the John Updike novel-turned-movie still tries hard without achieving a great deal.

This is partly the fault of the story, a contrivance that takes two and a half hours to get us marginally further than we were when the curtain first went up.

But it certainly isn’t the fault of touring production star Marti Pellow, who for the first time convinces us that giving up a pop career for the stage might not have been a bad idea.

Pellow pounces around like a cat looking for cream, his voice working hard and his manner at times showing the true cruelty of the devil beneath the charm of Darryl Van Horne.

When he sings, his range goes from hard and cruel to silky smooth.

It’s a performance that in any other show might come with a slice of ham, but in the context of being a devil conjured by three unknowing witches sick of their dull lives, it works admirably.

Backing him up are highly-likeable performances from the women in question: the brilliant Ria Jones as failing artist Alexandra, Rebecca Thornhill as failing journalist Sukie, and Poppy Tierney as middling cellist Jane.

In the course of the evening all three go from mousey clothes to vamps in vibrant red as Van Horne puts sexiness into New England starch.

The trio cut up the town and sets tongues wagging as each of them falls for the sexy devil in disguise.

The problem is that the show seems undeveloped and rather cold-hearted.

If you haven’t seen the film or know the story, the musical seems to jump right into events that aren’t properly explained.

Indeed the first “proper”, big scale, high-energy dance routine comes just after the opening of the second act — two hours into the show. And very welcome it is.

On top of this is the unfortunate fact that none of the songs are show-stoppingly memorable.

If it was me I’d be taking the whole thing back to the drawing board, keeping the performances and conjuring up a little more warmth