End of the Rainbow

As we follow Judy’s story we are met with addiction, exhaustion and money problems. The writing at times feels melodramatic, and the first act feels a little long but the pace does pick up later on. The action moves from a grand hotel room adorned with white draping and a singular grand piano, to the stage on which Judy bares her soul with the audience. Prema Mehta’s lighting subtly introduces flashes of colour that fill the space including a literal ‘name in lights’ moment which took our breath away.

In a piece that runs the risk of being an impersonation, Monsoon manages to maintain a performance that has us believing we are in the room with Judy herself. The vocal rhythms, gestures and comic timing are undoubtedly Garland, yet there is always some tension bubbling underneath that we wouldn’t usually see. One moment she is tossing out razor-sharp one-liners with impeccable comic precision; the next she appears painfully fragile, clinging desperately to the people around her. Monsoon captures Garland’s exhausting contradictions beautifully, making her both infuriating and impossible not to love.