George Forrest and Robert Wright, who had reset the melodies of Edvard Grieg for Song of Norway, adapted themes by Alexander Borodin to create Kismet in 1953. This Arabian Nights-style folktale talked like a comedy, dressed like a burlesque skit and sang like an operetta. Director Nora Howcroft has made sure the essential elements are retained or this classy, colourful, grown-up musical.
As Hajj, the Beggar poet who ends up as Wazir of Baghdad via several astonishing twists of fate, Steve Benson gives his usual impeccable mixture of quietly confident acting and musical presence to carry the story, along with Lalume, played with mischievous, vampish delight by Adrienne Wormald. Don Fairclough is excellent as the insidious villain Wazir, while Don Howcroft is superb as sanguine court poet Omar Khayyam.
The signature tune of Kismet, Stranger in Paradise, is delivered with show-stopping perfection by Lindsay Farnworth as Marsinah and David Griffiths as the Caliph, and their quartet of And This Is My Beloved, with Benson and Fairclough, makes you hold your breath in case you miss any of it.
There is wonderful support from David Reeves as Jawan and Mike Fallon as the Chief Policeman, as well as glorious orchestration from MD Steve Taylor and downright funky choreography by Barbara Martin.
