Unbridled Theatre Collective, a new outfit, opened a run of Brecht/Weill’s The Threepenny Opera at Video Cabaret on Thursday evening.  It’s in an updated version created for The National Theatre  by Simon Stephens in 2016 and it’s so updated it might well be retitled The 1.25p Opera. It’s raunchy and contains sexually explicit language and action (including some rather disturbing sexual violence) that would never have made it past the censors back in the day.

The production, directed by Anita La Selva, is interesting and works well in the really rather small space at Video Cabaret.  The young cast throw themselves into the whole thing with great energy and there are some striking stage pictures. There’s clever use of text projected onto a banner in the manner of the Pabst film. There are some unusual and interesting characterisations.  JJ Peachum is flamboyantly homosexual while his wife is portrayed as younger, more attractive and more sexually voracious than the usual old bag.  Tiger Brown is played by a woman, though still as a man, and rather more than a comradely relationship between Brown and MacHeath is suggested.

The updating throws up both opportunities and problems.  Jenny is an IV drug user, thus easy to bribe with baggies of white powder.  Blackmail of a certain “royal personage” forms a plot element.  The threat, and subsequent aborted attempt, to hang MacHeath is a bit contrived in a country that decommissioned the gallows decades ago but with a little bit of imagination it works and there are plenty of deft little touches to keep the interest up.

The acting is generally pretty good and the ensemble numbers work well. Liam Armstrong is very good as “the flaming poof” JJ Peachum; just camp enough without being too obnoxious and he sings in a suitably unattractive but effective manne.  Aria de Castro rather steals the show as his wife.  The blowsy persona is just right and she’s a pretty decent singer which rather highlights the biggest problem with this production.  Quite a lot of the singing is not really up to snuff, even for Threepenny Opera in a small venue.  I wasn’t expecting bel canto but singing on key and being able to hold a note to the end are required even in this kind of piece and that didn’t always happen.

There were exceptions.  Cameron Helmkay, as Jenny, managed a decent “Solomon Song”.  Maggie Tavares as Tiger Brown was solid vocally and gave a really interesting take on the character and Rhys Parker as the Balladeer found a vocal persona that worked.  The ensemble was fine too but otherwise the acting carried things and solo vocal numbers could have had more impact.  Madison Buchanan as Polly, Jacob Klick, as MacHeath, and Jasmine Jenkinson as Lucy, created credible characters but just weren’t great to listen to.  Justin Hiscox provided suitable accompaniment on a rather ratty piano reminiscent of the first outing of Against the Grain’s La Bohème.

This production is worth seeing for Simon Stephens’ very modern take and the exuberance and commitment of the cast is admirable.  Just don’t expect a Glenn Gould School standard of singing.

The Threepenny Opera continues at Video Cabaret until May 17th.