Novecento, Trafalgar Studios

This one-man show about a jazz pianist hits all the right notes

by Alexandra CoghlanTuesday, 02 November 2010

Mark Bonnar: A bravura display of technique and dramatic stamina

Offbeat in more than just their rhythms, jazz musicians have always had an affinity to the extraordinary, living lives syncopated against the regular tread of society. Maybe it was the informality of their training, or the influence of brothels, bars and back streets that were their concert halls, but the likes of Buddy Bolden and Django Reinhardt have left a legacy of autobiography every bit as bold and unusual as their music. It is in this legacy that Alessandro Baricco’s fictional pianist Novecento claims his share, in a 90-minute monologue that riffs on the unlikely melody of his life to create a beautifully absurdist fable.

The absence of music in this story of a musician does at times feel a little wilful

Buy

Explore topics

Share this article

The future of Arts Journalism

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

more Theatre

Twelfth Night, Royal Shakespeare Theatre review - comic energy dissipates in too large a space Too much thinking; not enough laughing

You Me Bum Bum Train, secret location review - a joyful multiverse of anarchic creativity This latest incarnation of the show is a wild, spinning ride through different forms of reality

The Tempest, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane review - Sigourney Weaver's impassive Prospero inhabits an atmospheric, desolate world Magic is minimised in Jamie Lloyd's pared-back version

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse review - a blazingly original musical flashes into the West End War and Peace - but not as you know it

The Invention of Love, Hampstead Theatre review - beautiful wit, awkward staging Tom Stoppard’s evocation of Victorian golden age Oxford stars Simon Russell Beale

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, New Adventures, Sadler's Wells review - 30 years on, as bold and brilliant as ever A masterly reinvention has become a classic itself

The Little Foxes, Young Vic review - timeshifted production blurs the play's focus Lillian Hellman’s family feud set in 1900 Alabama doesn’t survive a confused updating

The Legends of Them, Royal Court review - reaching out for serenity Gig theatre piece about the pain and redemption of a pioneer reggae artist

The Producers, Menier Chocolate Factory review - liberating taboo-busting fun for grown-ups Director Patrick Marber does Mel Brooks's musical proud

A Midsummer Night's Dream, RSC, Barbican review - visually ravishing with an undercurrent of violence This psychedelic mashup conveys a sci-fi-style alternate reality

The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre review - efficient but rarely inspired Relaunch of Elton John musical needs further tinkering still

Hansel and Gretel, Shakespeare's Globe review - too saccharine a retelling for our times Songs and sweeties, but insufficient sourness and sadism for fans of fairytales

Follow @theartsdesk