A friend saw Yank in New York multiple times during it's off-broadway run and has been recommending the show ever since. So, when it finally arrived in the UK and news of a London transfer hit, I knew I had to finally see it - and it was well worth the wait.
Yank is beautiful, heartbreaking, traumatic, funny and, maybe most importantly, more topical and poignant than it should be in 2017.
After a WWII US army soldier's journal is found in an old junk shop, Yank! tells his story. Stu (Scott Hunter) is gay, a front line soldier, a reporter for the Yank Magazine and he strikes up a relationship with another member of his company, Mitch (Andy Coxon). Yet, Mitch isn't quite as comfortable in his sexuality as Stu turns out to be and, by the end of act 1, there's already a pretty sure feeling that a happy ending for these two soldiers isn't in sight. Hunter and Coxon play their parts wonderfully. You feel their pain, relief, terror and sadness as the story progresses. Their chemistry was palpable. Hunter had a presence on stage that drew your eyes to him, made you want to watch him, even if he wasn't central or leading that particular scene. Both he and Coxon especially excelled in the scenes where they had to show their emotional range - when Stu or Mitch cried, you wanted to cry along with them, when their hearts broke, yours did too. Their voices blended together seamlessly and I can honestly say I would listen to either of them sing the phone book!
The scene leading up to their first kiss was a personal favourite. Two soldiers drawn together by their growing attraction to each other, whilst the rest of their squad get excited over pictures of female actresses. The moment between the two was tender, unsure and electric, leaving behind a confused, angry Mitch and an even more terrified Stu.
A word, too, for Chris Kiely as Artie, photographer for Yank Magazine who meets Stu not long after this encounter and introduces him to the hidden, behind the scenes, gay world. This is done through the medium of tap dance and is an excellent scene - very cleverly directed and choreographed by James Baker and Chris Cuming, and meticulously executed by Kiely, Hunter and the rest of the male ensemble.
Sarah-Louise Young is the only female member of the cast and plays a number of characters, each completely differing from the other. She is a fabulous actress and has an amazing voice. There is no weak link in this extraordinary cast. Some of the most memorable, yet harrowing, scenes are after Stu finds himself arrested, incriminating himself when his journal is found. Hunter and Young have a wonderful scene as Stu and his closeted lesbian senior officer, where she gives him the option of normal prison, military prison or the front line, and is incredulous when he chooses the front line - if he dies, how can he change anything? Stu has one of the most signficant lines of the production during this encounter - "They don't care that some guys do it. Lots of guys do it! The crime is wanting it!"
Yank! is a story that needs to be told, particularly in the current climate. This cast tell it amazingly well and have been given some beautiful direction and army drill style choreography by Baker and Cuming. The show is not to be missed and, with it closing in just over three weeks, see it now whilst you have the chance!
Yank is beautiful, heartbreaking, traumatic, funny and, maybe most importantly, more topical and poignant than it should be in 2017.
After a WWII US army soldier's journal is found in an old junk shop, Yank! tells his story. Stu (Scott Hunter) is gay, a front line soldier, a reporter for the Yank Magazine and he strikes up a relationship with another member of his company, Mitch (Andy Coxon). Yet, Mitch isn't quite as comfortable in his sexuality as Stu turns out to be and, by the end of act 1, there's already a pretty sure feeling that a happy ending for these two soldiers isn't in sight. Hunter and Coxon play their parts wonderfully. You feel their pain, relief, terror and sadness as the story progresses. Their chemistry was palpable. Hunter had a presence on stage that drew your eyes to him, made you want to watch him, even if he wasn't central or leading that particular scene. Both he and Coxon especially excelled in the scenes where they had to show their emotional range - when Stu or Mitch cried, you wanted to cry along with them, when their hearts broke, yours did too. Their voices blended together seamlessly and I can honestly say I would listen to either of them sing the phone book!
The scene leading up to their first kiss was a personal favourite. Two soldiers drawn together by their growing attraction to each other, whilst the rest of their squad get excited over pictures of female actresses. The moment between the two was tender, unsure and electric, leaving behind a confused, angry Mitch and an even more terrified Stu.
A word, too, for Chris Kiely as Artie, photographer for Yank Magazine who meets Stu not long after this encounter and introduces him to the hidden, behind the scenes, gay world. This is done through the medium of tap dance and is an excellent scene - very cleverly directed and choreographed by James Baker and Chris Cuming, and meticulously executed by Kiely, Hunter and the rest of the male ensemble.
Sarah-Louise Young is the only female member of the cast and plays a number of characters, each completely differing from the other. She is a fabulous actress and has an amazing voice. There is no weak link in this extraordinary cast. Some of the most memorable, yet harrowing, scenes are after Stu finds himself arrested, incriminating himself when his journal is found. Hunter and Young have a wonderful scene as Stu and his closeted lesbian senior officer, where she gives him the option of normal prison, military prison or the front line, and is incredulous when he chooses the front line - if he dies, how can he change anything? Stu has one of the most signficant lines of the production during this encounter - "They don't care that some guys do it. Lots of guys do it! The crime is wanting it!"
Yank! is a story that needs to be told, particularly in the current climate. This cast tell it amazingly well and have been given some beautiful direction and army drill style choreography by Baker and Cuming. The show is not to be missed and, with it closing in just over three weeks, see it now whilst you have the chance!