The Story of The Phantom of the Opera Continues in Love Never Dies
August 19, 2010
Writing a sequel to what continues to be the most commercially successful show in theatre history cannot have been easy for musical maestro Andrew Lloyd Webber. Indeed, with numerous “phans” of the original Phantom of the Opera protesting the sequel violently, and then slamming it heavily upon its release, the whole thing has been somewhat disheartening. But there is little cause for this, because Love Never Dies holds its own on the theatre scene, and although it may not be exactly what the Phantom was, it’s a masterpiece of visual eccentricity, currently showing at the Adelphi Theatre in London.
The plot is simple enough, as ten years after the events of Phantom the heroine of the piece, Christine Daae, has become a famous singer. She is summoned to perform at the opening of a new amusement park in Coney Island, a perfect setting for the whirling, colourful spectacle already established in Phantom’s ballroom scenes. The mysterious call, of course, comes in fact from the phantom himself. Christine heads to Coney Island, resentful husband Raoul in tow as well as ten year old Gustave, who may or may not be the Phantom’s biological child.
This is a story that combines romance, intrigue and a hint of gothic melodrama. In Christine, audiences have a heroine who is both strong and fragile. We saw her almost consumed by the phantom and rescued by Raoul, but now we see that it wasn’t as simple as we thought. Christine and the deformed composer shared a night of passion in Paris ten years ago, giving her character an added dimension. The phantom himself remains a menacing and yet vulnerable anti-hero, impossible to think of as a black and white villain. The introduction of Gustave, an innocent child who has to meander through a very adult world, further deepens the message of the story. As Phantom considered the all consuming power of love and obsession, Love Never Dies takes this to a new level by suggesting the bonds of family and biological ties.
If you’re looking for tickets online for Love Never Dies then why not visit LondonTheatre.com and take a look at their fantastic offers on tickets.
