The West End veteran Frances Ruffelle brings her A-game to Pitlochry Festival Theatre with 'I Can Die Too', but it's clear this musical needs a bit more seasoning – the recipe is there, but the flavours just aren't mixing quite right. The show's three writers, including Ruffelle herself and artistic director Alan Cumming, are on to something special when they blend theatrical drama with cabaret-style performance, but unfortunately, that magic eludes us.
Frances Ruffelle is a force of nature – her voice can conjure up the very spirit of 80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper and teen sensation Britney Spears. With musical director Frew at the helm and a live band backing her every note, Ruffelle showcases her impressive vocal range, shifting seamlessly from high-energy performances to poignant ballads that linger long after the curtain falls.
But it's here where 'I Can Die Too' falters – its dramatic framework is as flat as a stage floor. The story follows Lily, an actor rehearsing a stage adaptation of Jean Cocteau's 1930 monologue 'La Voix Humaine', but things quickly become muddled when she starts deviating from the script to share her own personal anecdotes about love and loss – including a lost teenage sweetheart and adopted child. While this should provide a rich backdrop for the musical numbers, it instead feels like filler, lacking any real depth or emotional resonance.
The 'backstage drama' is meant to be the show's pièce de résistance, but it falls flat, with Lily's dynamic with her director James (played by Stephen Ashfield) feeling unconvincing and lacking in tension. The sentimental mother-daughter reunion that eventually emerges as a plot point comes too little, too late – you're left wanting more from the narrative, which currently feels like a distant echo rather than a fully formed story.
Directed by Bill Buckhurst with all the trappings of a major production, 'I Can Die Too' shows promise but needs significant reworking to bring its dramatic structure and character development up to par. Even Ruffelle's star power and those catchy tunes can't compensate for the show's narrative shortcomings – this one needs a second act makeover if it wants to make a lasting impression.