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Go See 'A Gentleman's Guide' at The Old Globe

Because everything sounds funnier in a British accent.

Add one part Downton Abbey, one part ABC’s Revenge, garnish with a little song and dance, and you’ll get the absolutely delightful elixir that is A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder—a new musical playing at the Old Globe Theatre.

The show is the latest in a long line of productions to make a stop in San Diego before heading to New York. It’s fun and funny, encompassing the best of what a Broadway musical has to offer: catchy tunes, beautiful costumes, and a clever script. (Let’s face it, everything sounds better when said—or sung!—in a British accent.)

With the basic ingredients for a mega hit in place, the play then becomes all about the wildly talented Jefferson Mays, who won a Tony Award for his performance in I Am My Own Wife. In that production, which debuted in San Diego at the La Jolla Playhouse, Mays portrayed no less than 37 different characters. In A Gentleman’s Guide—without spoiling any surprises—he gives an equally “diverse” performance. The show was created specifically with him in mind, and he delivers in a big way.

Other standouts include Ken Barnett as Monty Navarro, the most lovable murderer you’ll ever meet.  An honorable mention should also go to the ensemble, who wear a lot of hats. (Literally. This is England, people!) Their diction is impeccable, spewing Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak’s witty, Sondheim-esque lyrics with utter clarity, which is no small feat.

The show is headed to Broadway sometime next year, so this is a great opportunity to see it beforehand. Expect lots of laughs, some unexpected twists, and a little bloodshed—gentleman style, of course.  

For tickets, visit oldglobe.org.

 

 

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