Get sucked into a world that combines fantasy with reality in one completely believable package

Angels in America: Millennium Approaches follows the story of two couples, one gay and the other straight. Louis Ironson and Prior Walter struggle with being together through sickness and the very real possibility of loss. Louis still hides his homosexuality from his Jewish family and walks away when things get tough. On the other hand, you have Joe and Harper Pitt, the boring Mormon husband and wife whose marriage is falling apart. Harper is deeply unhappy and addicted to Valium whilst Joe keeps a big secret even from himself. Although it is fully centred around the AIDS crisis, I heard much laughter from the audience for such an emotionally themed play.

Nearly all of the actors played more than one part which is a testament to their skill and the clever thinking of the costume designer. The American accents were very convincing for the most part and I forgot that I was in the Bedlam Theatre in Edinburgh. I definitely felt transported to 1985 New York. From the very beginning, Ava Vaccari stood out as she fully embodied the spirit of a Jewish man. El Mair was so perfectly delicate, majestic and gorgeous in mannerism that you could not help getting attached to Prior Walter immediately even though his death is looming from the start. A truly captivating and breathtaking performance.

I had the privilege of sitting in the centre front row and was able to be fully immersed when Louis and Joe sat on the edge of the stage. Microphones were used for illustrating spirit characters and the booming voice that came to Prior but were certainly not needed for projection. Many shouted lines from Roy Cohn in particular struck deep and gave a jolt to the audience.

The costumes were just right. Moments of dazzle and frills were there in Mr Lies and The Angel who stood out as fantasy characters, but everything else was correctly understated and repressed. Prior’s simple oversized hospital gown served to make him look smaller, sicker and less like himself than the silky dressing gowns of his home.

The set was beautiful and constantly transformed to make the most of the furniture that was there. Both the actors and crew manoeuvred walls that were lit up in the geometric colourful style of the 1980s. Even though the stage was split up for the most part, the two stories still bled into each other. Lighting was used effectively to convey many things. A constant spotlight flicked from one side of the stage to the other, telling the audience where to look. I particularly enjoyed the disco ball as well that set the mood for a touching dance in addition to creating the illusion of soft snowflakes.

Overall, Angels in America is really about trying to make the most of life and the hope that it is never too late to start again and find happiness. The show closes to the sound of Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat, with the up-tempo story of Jimmy Sommerville’s own experience of being gay making a fitting tribute. Much of the outlandish scenes could be dismissed as hallucination but I am sure that even the non-religious will want to believe in angels, just for a few hours. Millenium Approaches is still only part one of this tale. The ending is left unresolved, leaving the audience questioning and wanting more. As said in the script, “The great work begins…”