In 2023, it’s probably fair to say that Roy Orbison does not enjoy the same level of fame as some of his rock ‘n’ roll contemporaries, the most obvious being Elvis Presley. Nevertheless, his melancholy lyrics and impassioned vocals have become an indelible part of popular culture. After all, how many singer-songwriters can claim to have had a major influence on David Lynch (“In Dreams”), provided the title of a Julia Roberts film (“Oh, Pretty Woman”) and inspired one of the funniest scenes in Only Fools and Horses (“Crying”, or should that be “Cwying”?)?
The sheer power and longevity of Orbison’s songs is clearly appreciated by the writer David West Read—best known for his award-winning work on the sitcom Schitt’s Creek and the West End musical & Juliet—who uses the musician’s extraordinary catalogue as the basis for a highly charming and affable show which reflects on life, death and the importance of human connection.
In Dreams opens with Kenna (Lena Hall), a has-been rock singer, being diagnosed with a potentially terminal illness. Forced to confront her own mortality, she travels around and eventually winds up at Felices Sueños, a family-run restaurant in Mexico, which specialises in celebrating the dead. Impressed by the establishment’s oddly life-affirming ethos, Kenna decides to throw herself a memorial while she is still alive, reaching out to her former bandmates—including her former beau, Ramsey (Oliver Tompsett)—for one last revel.
From this brief synopsis, it should be clear that Read’s ambitions go beyond those of most jukebox musicals, many of which seem primarily concerned with cramming in as many recognisable tunes as possible, normally to the detriment of narrative cohesion (Rock of Ages and We Will Rock You spring readily to mind). While the abundance of songs results in a few scenes feeling slightly underwritten, the trembling emotion of Orbison’s songs are, for the most part, skilfully deployed in order to convey the characters’ feelings. The most obvious example of this is Lena Hall’s shattering performance of “Crying” at the end of the first half.
In addition to a first-class songbook, In Dreams also benefits from an impeccable ensemble cast. It was a pleasure to watch Tony award-winner Lena Hall show her stuff as Kenna. In addition to her superb rock voice, she beautifully captures the character’s mixture of toughness and vulnerability. Equally impressive is Oliver Tompsett, who brings considerable charisma to the role of dimwitted Ramsey, the former-rock-god-turned-Uber-driver. Indeed, his swaggering performance of “I Drove All Night” was one of the evening most memorable moments.
Sian Reese-Williams and Noël Sullivan excel as Jane and Donovan—Kenna’s other two bandmates—who are struggling to keep their marriage afloat amidst the pressures of work and child-rearing. Overall, I felt the musical worked most effectively when exploring the interpersonal dynamics of these four characters.
While I feel that In Dreams is slightly over-populated, I cannot for the life of me say whom I would remove—such is the calibre of the performances. Manuel Pacific brings a touching sadness to the role of Oscar, the restaurant proprietor who is struggling to move on from his parents’ death; his tremulous performance of “In Dreams” was extremely moving. Having loved her performance as Maria in West Side Story, it was great to see Gabriela García as Nicole, Oscar’s adoring but increasingly frustrated wife. In addition to her acting role, she also served as the production’s cultural co-ordinator, ensuring the authenticity of the production’s engagement with the Mexican tradition of Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead).
There are also lovely performances from Alma Cuervo as Oscar’s wise grandmother, Richard Trinder as a wooing widower and Leon Craig as a chef who is obsessed with Kenna’s former band.
Arnulfo Maldonado’s colourful and eye-catching set manages to evoke the atmosphere of a Mexican restaurant, and George Reeve’s beautiful video designs capture the majesty of the natural world beyond it.
In Dreams will eventually travel to Toronto and I wish it the best of luck. While the overall effect is somehow less than the sum of its many excellent parts, there is still much to enjoy in this earnest but goodhearted show.