Podcast Summary: Brigadoon (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London) – ★★★★ Review

Podcast: MickeyJoTheatre
Host: MickeyJoTheatre (Mickey-Jo)
Date: August 19, 2025
Episode Theme:
A detailed, passionate review of the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre’s new production of Brigadoon. The episode explores the unique staging, the modernized adaptation by Rhona Monroe, Drew McOnie’s choreography and direction, and standout performances. Mickey-Jo shares critical insights, personal anecdotes, and assesses how this golden age musical fits into the iconic London open-air venue.

Introduction & Setting the Scene

[02:01]

• Mickey-Jo opens with enthusiasm for Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, reflecting on its “magical” atmosphere and reminiscing about falling in love with theatre there as a teenager (“at 16 years old I fell in love with the possibility of everything that theatre could be when I was seeing Into the Woods”).
• Contextualizes Brigadoon as a classic, rarely-seen Lerner and Loewe musical, last produced decades ago in London.

Quote:
“It is one of the theatres that you have to visit in your lifetime and this is a really lovely show to see there. It's quintessential Regents Park.” (03:07, Mickey-Jo)

The Musical & Its New Adaptation

Brigadoon's Place in the Canon

[03:34 – 05:00]

• Discusses Brigadoon’s musical qualities: “classic and sweeping golden age musical theater scores,” best suited to summer evenings and the open-air setting.

• Acknowledges “It’s Almost Like Being in Love” as the enduring classic, but notes the rest of the score lacks the lasting cultural footprint of My Fair Lady or Rodgers & Hammerstein’s works.

• Critiques some original lyrics as “a little bit basic”, but credits occasional “flashes of brilliance.”

Quote:
“There's just something about a lovely summer's evening as the sun is setting, listening to that kind of music waft over you. It's very romantic and most of the songs are explicitly romantic.” (04:00)

Rhona Monroe’s Updates

[06:00 – 09:50]

• Outlines major book revisions by Rhona Monroe:
  • Americans are recast as fighter pilots crashed in the Scottish Highlands, not aimless backpackers.
  • Adds credible urgency and trauma: “It also gives them a sense of depth… contending with the decision of whether or not to leave, whether to stay, and the obligations that they face in the outside world… global conflict.”
    (06:50)
  • Updates Brigadoon’s enchantment to be protection from war, giving new pathos to the myth and relevance to historical and current anxieties.
  • Praises a new line about the world wishing for a Brigadoon, underscoring the show’s increased modern resonance.

Quote:
“There’s a lovely line in there about how the entire world would probably love a Brigadoon… the safety and security that the enchantment offers.” (08:24)

Maintaining Old-Fashioned Charm

[09:51 – 11:00]

• Notes some enduring “dustiness” and old-fashioned aspects, even amid the updates: “There remains, in spite of the updates to the material and in spite of this brilliant production by Drew McOnie, just a sort of a sheen of dust... as there is with a lot of golden age musical theatre material.”
• Argues this nostalgia is key to the show’s charm and concept.

Direction & Design: Drew McOnie’s Vision

Choreography as Storytelling

[12:30 – 15:45]

• First major production under new Artistic Director Drew McOnie, who is celebrated for merging contemporary ballet and theatre.
• Praises extended, expressive dance sequences integral to storytelling:
  • “There are beautiful moments of dance for the sake of dance. There are moments of dance as storytelling. We have sweeping ensemble moments.”
  • Ballet and movement are the “signature storytelling language” of this adaptation.
• Specifics: Wedding sequences, a chilling chase, a “funereal moment” using dance and bagpipes, and passionate, balletic staging of love songs.

Quote:
“Very passionate, very emotive balletic dance is absolutely the signature storytelling language of this production. And it makes sense, once we've moved into the ethereal world of Brigadoon, that that is how we are communicating the vibes.” (14:15)

Set and Atmosphere

[15:46 – 17:55]

• Design by Basio Bin Kauska, costumes by Sammy Fendel.
• Set described as wood-paneled, sloping, “looks a little bit like a Grand Designs house that’s built into the ground,” topped with grass and nestled into the park’s trees; waterfall and pond front-of-stage.
• “It’s so atmospheric… as they ready for a wedding, they are collecting… purple flowers, lining the stage with it and these little lanterns… steadily looks more and more beautiful.”
• Set and props underscore themes of community, love, peace, and sanctuary—making the show “extraordinarily timely.”
• “If only we could all Brigadoon ourselves at will. Yes, I'm using that as a verb, that set design.” (17:08)

Costumes:

• Adored for lavender and green palette (“looked like fashionable Jedi knights”).

Cast Highlights & Performances

[18:33 – 24:48]

Leads

• Fiona McLaren: Role shared by Danielle Fiamanya (seen by reviewer) and Georgina Honora.

  • Both described as “fantastic rising stars… you are getting a sensational vocalist and actress who delivers star power to the stage.”
  • Fiamanya: “Vocally, absolutely sublime. Such a charm as well. She is Scottish, if you didn’t know. The majority of the accents…are authentic Scottish accents.”

• Tommy Albright & Jeff Douglas: Louis Gaunt and Cavan Clark as the American fighter pilots.

  • Accents noted as “fine” for non-Americans; wonders if one could be British for historical veracity.
  • Clark brings “darkness that seeps in as he eventually invokes in conversation the horrors that the two of them have witnessed as soldiers.”
  • Gaunt is “deeply charming and very charismatic on stage… has that leading man energy.”

Quote:
“I particularly enjoy [Cavan Clark’s] acting performance and the darkness that seeps in as he eventually invokes… the horrors… as soldiers. I think that's a really important dimension to bring to the piece.” (19:55)

Standouts in Support

• Nick Myers as Meg: “Absolutely sensational… a firecracker… in a show which… needs a life-saving transfusion of blood...as it is quite steady and a little dusty... she is a stick of dynamite that blows the whole thing up.” (21:00)
  • Modernized depiction in the adaptation; compared to a “Scottish Ado Annie.”
• Adam Davidson, Chrissy Brook, Danny Nattras, Tim Hodges: Noted for exceptional dance and poignant moments, especially in the ballet sequences.
  • Danny Nattras as Harry Beaton: “A lot of his work is in dance, but some brilliantly moving acting as well, some real depth to his character.”
  • Tim Hodges recognized for a “brief little solo moment at the end of that song… mesmerizingly performed, really stunning.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Just like this town reappears once every hundred years, there’s a terrific charm in this show, reappearing after nearly 40 years of not being seen in London.” (11:00)
• “It’s golden age, it’s classic, it’s old fashioned, but very smartly updated and brilliantly performed. Astonishingly choreographed and directed. A lovely way to spend an evening in the summer.” (24:00)
• “If you have any kind of a distaste for classic musical theatre, then you might struggle with this just a little bit. It’s not over long. It’s not all that slow, necessarily. There are events that unfold. We have repetitive lyrics, we have townspeople dancing through the square for the sake of it, and we have a love story between two characters so instantaneous in its connection that it makes Carousel look, you know, reasonable and mature.” (09:25)

Episode Takeaways & Final Verdict

• Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is a “bucket list” venue, and their Brigadoon is an ideal show for first-timers.
• Rhona Monroe’s adaptation sensitively updates outmoded aspects, deepens character motivations, and gives Brigadoon new resonance.
• Drew McOnie’s choreography and direction, along with superb design work, create a visually and emotionally charged world.
• Performances—especially from Fiamanya, Gaunt, Clark, and Myers—are praised for vocal, dance, and dramatic excellence.
• The “dusty” golden age tone remains, but is now part of the piece’s magic and meditation on hope and sanctuary.
• Highly recommended: “A lovely and enchanting production which captures much of the magic of that setting… go and check it out at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.” (24:00)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [02:01] – Introduction and venue love
• [04:00] – Brigadoon’s score and musical style
• [06:00] – Rhona Monroe’s adaptation and new context
• [08:24] – Thematic resonance of Brigadoon in wartime
• [12:30] – Drew McOnie’s choreography and direction analysis
• [15:46] – Set and costume design review
• [18:33] – Cast highlights (leads and support)
• [21:00] – Nick Myers as Meg, ensemble shout-outs
• [24:00] – Overall impression and closing thoughts

Closing Note

Mickey-Jo closes with thanks, encourages feedback, and invites listeners to subscribe or comment with their own thoughts and experiences, keeping the tone characteristically “stagey” and welcoming.