Promising concept but a disappointing execution
As a fan of both Van Gogh and Rock Musicals, I was excited for, and ultimately let down by The Rise and Fall of Vinnie and Paul, The show charts the tumultuous relationship between painters Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin as they lived together in Arles in 1888. Before I go further, it is important to note that this musical is still in development, and therefore, is still a work in progress.
The highlight of the show was Max Alexander-Taylor’s performance as the erratic and endearing Vinnie. His voice was strong and his commitment to the role was commendable. However, for a show about artists, it engaged surprisingly little with art itself, reducing the Impressionist and Primitivist movements largely to colour. Whilst there was allusion there was no real exploration of the philosophical differences between Van Gogh and Gauguin which caused their fallout. This is perhaps a pretentious complaint but meant throughout the show I was continuously wondering why the show was about these two artists specifically, and meant the show felt shallow. Especially because Gauguin was largely unlikeable. His song about how no woman could understand him was frustrating, not least because he had female contemporaries. Whilst one could see threads of an interesting story exploring the nature of their relationship through a queer lens, they were not pulled out effectively in the hour.
The musical is reminiscent of hits from the 2010s like ‘Heathers’, ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ and ‘Spring Awakening’. I was surprised that Bastian described the music as ‘Abba for Blokes’, when there seemed to be no trace of the 70s in the musical DNA of the show. The singers’ voices soared, and one can easily see these numbers as audition pieces. Whilst the numbers were catchy, they were not especially distinct and at worst detracted from the dramatic tension of the show.
In my mind the show’s issues can be summarised in the number ‘This is my Funeral’, the song where Van Gogh cuts off his ear. Instead of being a moment of payoff, or dramatic tension, it is hugely undercut by a sunglasses-wearing Gauguin singing a largely forgettable pop rock number. It felt more suited to a 30 Rock cutaway gag than a musical that had any empathy towards its subjects. If the show was a dark comedy, this number would have worked, but if it was meant to have any pathos it was unsuccessful. I wonder if it would have been more effective to eschew the song, and to leave the audience uncomfortable with the horror of the action. The following song ‘Wheatfield of Crows’ was excellent, it was effective and balanced, and the audience were encouraged to see and empathise with Van Gogh, and would have been more effective if the previous song had not happened.
There were some interesting moments in The Rise and Fall of Vinnie and Pauland it would be interesting to see what a full length version of the show looks like.