Theatre
Review
Review: Evita
Rachel Zegler sings for the masses in the Jamie Lloyd Company’s latest revival at the London Palladium
It’s a stunt that caused quite a stir when footage first appeared on social media – near the beginning of Act Two of Jamie Lloyd’s new Evita at the London Palladium, star Rachel Zegler (West Side Story, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) takes to the theatre’s front balcony to sing ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’. The decision to have arguably the show’s most famous song fed through a live camera to a screen in the theatre whilst those outside on the street watch it for free sparked a lot of conversation. Which, of course, is exactly the point.
Evita tells the story of Eva Perón, an actress turned first lady of Argentina whose ambitions of fame and fortune eventually give way to a saint-like devotion to the people of her country. In Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s show, Eva is presented as a complex, morally grey figure, a charitable giver who potentially launders money through her organisations; a schemer who knows how to get what she wants. Zegler has great fun with the more sordid aspects of Eva’s character, entertaining with a sultry, smirking physicality. The historical accuracy of this portrayal is debated, but ultimately who Eva was in private matters far less than who she was publicly. When she appears in her silver finery and blonde wig on the Palladium’s balcony, both Rachel Zegler and Eva Perón sell the role of Argentine saint absolutely, and the choice to have the crowd on the street enjoy for free what those sat in the Palladium’s plush seats must watch through a screen is a bold and powerful one. It’s a decision that will only get more interesting as the show’s run continues, and Zegler’s appearances above Argyll Street become as regular as clockwork.
Zegler dazzles in the titular role, vocally spectacular and delivering fascinating light and shade in her portrayal. The use of live cameras – a prominent part of Jamie Lloyd’s acclaimed Sunset Boulevard in 2023 – is more sparing here, but when they roll again for ‘Eva’s Final Broadcast’ and Zegler delivers a tearful farewell to Argentina into the lens, it’s a delight to be able to see every excellent choice she makes, in detail. Diego Andres Rodriguez is a brilliantly intense Che, chiding and criticising Eva with all the bitter familiarity of an estranged brother, whilst Bella Brown’s stomach-churning performance of ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’ is a standout moment.
The design is minimal, a tiered stage without much dressing beyond five huge light-up letters that spell out the show’s title (when you see it, you might assume that whatever budget was save on set-pieces was redirected towards the confetti cannons). Like most of what Jamie Lloyd does, it works, giving Eva a blank canvas to light up, and guiding us through her life in music hall fashion. The grandeur of the Palladium on the screen offers a neat contrast to the bright bulbs and black boards onstage – unlike her people, we are undressing Eva Perón and understanding who she might have been in private. When Zegler, back in her silver and finery, receives her standing ovation at the end of the show with a sweeping curtsey, we’re unsure at exactly which moment she breaks character. She loves her people. We love her, too.
Evita is playing at the London Palladium until 6 September – find tickets here
