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End of the Rainbow starring Jinkx Monsoon (Soho Theatre Walthamstow, London) - ★★★★ REVIEW
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There's a great line in the middle of this play when Judy Garland says the press aren't supposed to come to previews, they're supposed to come to press night. That's how it got the name one of her many zingers in this script. And yet there I was at what was technically a preview performance two days before the official opening night, reviewing it nonetheless. And I'm about to tell you what I thought. How is this play? How is this production? But more to the point, how is Jinkx Monsoon as Judy Garland a major, auspicious casting moment. And I'm going to tell you exactly what I thought about the extent to which this worked for me. But before I do, a quick introduction for those of you who may be meeting me for the very first time. Oh my God. Hey, welcome to my theatre themed YouTube channel. Or hello to those of you listening to this review on podcast platforms. My name is Mickey Jo and I'm obsessed with all things theatre. I am a content creator and a critic here on social media and today we are going to be talking about End of the Rainbow at Soho Theatre Walthamstow, the relatively new and gorgeous venue not to be confused with Soho Theatre Soho. This one can be found at the northernmost end of the Victoria line and currently it is hosting a return a revival of the Peter Quill to play End of the Rainbow. Last seen in a major UK production in the 2010s starring Tracy Bennett, the play subsequently went to Broadway. It has an interesting history because I believe it began its life as a fringe production that wasn't explicitly meant to be about Judy Garland, but kind of evolved into a play about this series of concert performance that she gave in London at Talk of the Town in the months leading up to her death in the late 1960s. The play is also the basis for the biopic film Judy starring Renee Zellweger. And what makes this production so interesting is that it has a new star. It is not Tracy Bennet. It is not Renee zellweger. It is RuPaul's Drag Race alumnus and lately Broadway star Jinkx Monsoon, who has been associated with Judy Garland. Previously, she portrayed her during a challenge on her second stint on RuPaul's Drag Race, on an All Star season and All Winners season more specifically. And while Ms. Monsoon, since making her Broadway debut a few years ago in Chicago, has been commanding significant power at the Broadway box office, also appearing in the Penzance musical and on more than one occasion in O Mary at the Lyceum Theatre as well as Off Broadway in Little Shop of Horrors. This is undoubtedly the most demanding role that she has stepped into yet because this defies the confines of the kind of comedy characters that she has portrayed thus far. Make make no mistake, this is a script and a character that commands significant depth, nuance and emotional heft. And today I'm going to let you know what I thought of Jinx as Judy and whether it necessarily aligns with what audiences are expecting. Of course, if you have had the chance to see this show already, I would love to know what you thought in the comments down below and whether it aligned with what you were expecting it to be with the disclaimer, did you go into this as a Jinx Monsoon fan, a Judy Garland fan, a theater fan, or some version of all of the above? Finally, and before I get started, if you enjoy listening to this review, feel free to subscribe here on YouTube for many more theater reviews coming soon, you can also check out the many that I have shared previously. You can follow me on podcast platforms, or you can sign up to my free weekly substack newsletter to stay abreast of everything that I'm seeing on stage. For now though, forget your troubles. Come on, get comfortable while I tell you about Jinkx Monsoon in End of the Rainbow. Now, usually at this point I would dive head first into a plot synopsis and I'll tell you a little bit more about this play in just a moment. But I think one of the most interesting things about this production is the context in which it is being produced, and in association with various producing partners, it has been brought to the stage by Lambert Jackson, who for the most part have been one night only concert producers thus far. They are making a very deliberate segue into the world of producing larger, longer runs, but they have displayed thus far certain a definite skill in terms of figuring out exactly what an audience wants to see and navigating very special moments like this and being able to produce what feels like event theater. With coups of casting, they recently brought together Rachel Zegler and Ben Platt for the last five years concert, and having Jinkx Monsoon portray Judy Garland in a serious play about the final chapters of her turbulent life and celebrated career is a really interesting move because Jinx is already so associated with Judy. Jinx is also fast becoming a hugely popular stage star, with the acclaim for her various Broadway performances at this point almost beginning to outweigh the memory of her celebrated turns on Drag Race. In other words, it's absolutely the right time to put this kind of a production together, and I was staggered when I first heard rumblings that this was being brought to the stage. I think there are a lot of very exciting positives about it. Chiefly among them is the reality. Jinx, in an interview in the program here, talks about being reassured to take on this role, sort of being nervous about the demands of it, and that it goes beyond the kind of usual comedy that she would perform on stage, that this is a great deal more serious and more sincere and deeper and heavier. But she talks about being reassured and empowered by the team around her who believed that she could do this. And I like how opposite that is to the experience that Judy Garland seemed to have throughout her life where she was taken advantage of and manipulated by those around her who ought to have been protecting her from the damaging realities of early 20th century show business. Also, I think the various actresses who have played this role before Tracy Bennett hugely celebrated for having done so, Renee Zellweger on screen, Caroline o' Connor prior to that. I think each of them casts a very long shadow and Jinx is such an unexpected alternative in the world of casting that it's a great way of kind of separating this production from all that conversation. At the same time, I think there is also cause to be a little concerned about what audiences may be anticipating on arrival. And certainly the way that the production is being marketed does a good job of communicating this is a play, this is a piece of dramatic theater. But I overheard several people tonight at the Soho Theatre, a venue and a producing brand that has been heavily associated for years now with comedy, reflecting during the interval on the fact that this wasn't the production production that they were expecting. They thought this was going to be a drag show, perhaps some kind of a cabaret, where Jinx would be performing the material of, or even portraying consistently, Judy Garland, but not necessarily crawling around her hotel room begging her latest fiance for drugs. And yet, because it is such a vehicle for a powerful central performance, because she is so committed in her characterization of Judy Garland and because she is such an effervescent stage star, and because she gets to sing so many of the songs with which Judy Garland is associated throughout the performance, I can't imagine that anyone is leaving disappointed, interestingly. And I will get on to the actual play soon, I promise. I do think there is some fascinating overlap with O Mary, a significantly more recent comedy play written by Cora Scola, one that Jinx has appeared in on Broadway. And O Mary is a decent amount wackier and more revisionist and more absurd. It doesn't aspire to the same gravity and sincerity and heartbreak that End of the Rainbow does, but it's knocking on some of the same doors. And at their core, they are both to some extent depicting a similar sort of tragic heroine whose addictive desperation is being wrangled by a couple of men. The question, once I'd begun to notice that for me, was can Jinx take this beyond the realm of O Mary and that camp and that comedy? And can we really go to a place of tragic vulnerability? Let me answer that question by telling you a little bit more about the play and Jinx's performance.
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So End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter examines a little pocket of time in the final months before the death of Judy Garland, celebrated performer, cinema legend, gay icon like no other. At this point in her life, she is engaged to the man who will become her fifth husband, Mickey Deans. Yet in another play where I heard my own name said constantly, that was unnerving, and he brings her along with a collection of suitcases to a hotel suite at the Ritz in London. It has been agreed with the producer Delfont that she is going to appear in a six week stint at Talk of the Town, giving concert performances to hugely excited audiences. However, even if Judy is still able to deliver the goods on stage, her best days of consistency, predictability and stability are behind her. This noted and commented on by the play's other main supporting character, Anthony, who also exists in Judy's orbit. It is he and Mickey who are on either side of her, occasionally pulling her in different directions like it's a tug of war. Anthony is to be her pianist. The two of them have collaborated professionally before, and in spite of the sarcastic commentary that he delivers throughout the first act, we come to understand the extent of adoration that he has for her. He exists here sort of as an emblem of the entire queer community and the generation who were singularly in love with Judy Garland and had such extraordinary respect for her. At the summit of one emotional scene between the two of them, in which she sits with her legs across his lap and he gently applies her makeup, as he learned to for his own mother when he was younger, he thanks her for, in his own words, saving his life. And if you've seen Judy starring Renee Zellweger, the movie that is based on this play, its scope is considerably broader. We find out more about her motivation for going to London in the first place, and we see her daughters Portrayed, we kind of get a much bigger overview of this entire chapter. The play exists almost entirely between the hotel room where she is staying and occasionally retreating to and threatening to throw herself from onto the street below, and these glimpses that we get into the performances that she is giving. And it means that in the original stage play, we don't get that beautiful scene where the adoring gay couple find themselves unexpectedly catering for her in their home, breaking down in tears. But the dialogue that she shares with Anthony is a sort of a theatrical placeholder for that same emotional idea. The immeasurable meaning of Judy Garland to the queer community at that time is a huge priority of this play. And it feels doubly important in a production starring Jinx Monsoon. And I think there's something even gloriously metatheatrical happening here in terms of people coming to see Jinx, but not being entirely sure of what it is that they're going to witness. And I think a lot of those lucky audience members who got the chance to see Judy Garland performing in London in those years would have possibly felt the same way. What this material demands, though, is that this be a performance of legitimate sincerity and not a drag caricature, the likes of which Jinkx has already created on television. And I think by way of sacrificing a little bit of the accuracy of the Judy Garland impression, Jinx manages to find that I've been hearing a lot recently and thinking a lot about the difference between mimesis and mimicry and performance and authentic performance, and the difference between simply trying to recreate something and birthing it anew from yourself in a more genuine way. And there are moments when the line between Judy and Jinx sort of skews a little bit and the ratio is a little different. It doesn't feel like a utterly committed and focused Judy Garland impression the entire time. That is meant to be about utter accuracy and suspension of disbelief. It feels more like the creation of a version of Judy Garland that is also in close enough proximity to Jinx for her to be able to sustain as an actress. There are moments like when she chuckles, when you can hear the Jinx of it all beneath it. But you can also unmistakably see the Judy there. You can hear the Judy there in the vocal performances especially. I think it's interesting going back to what footage there is of Tracy Bennett's performance. She is always raw and powerful, but with this really soul bearing vulnerability that comes bursting through everything she says. And she has such force in that little frame of Hers, Renee Zellweger on screen has utter vulnerability in so many of her performances. She could never quite capture the Judy Garland vocal, which Jinkx Monsoon is closer to. I think for Jinkx, the final hurdle in this characterization has been vulnerability and this utter sort of tragic, raw sadness. And there's a sorrow that comes through, but it's a powerful sorrow, and there's a rage that accompanies it as well. And there are several moments when she is flinging things at the men around her and at her husband to be. And she is throwing ashtrays and commenting on the fact that her aim must be getting worse because she used to be able to strike her former husbands very easily. And so there is a place for all of that in the hugely complex characterization of Judy Garland and this damaged human being that she had become after years of abuse and neglect. What's difficult, though, is how much the force and power that Jinx has outweighs the moments of delicate vulnerability. And she finds them in scenes opposite the men alongside her. When playing alongside Adam Phillipe, especially in the second act. Some beautiful material with the two of them, with him as Anthony, the gay pianist. They have some truly touching exchanges that utterly bring out the best in each other's performances. But there remains, I think, for me, that slight degree of utter sincerity that we don't quite reach. We're like 90, 98% of the way there. And it's because Jinx thrives so much in the moments of comedy. And so to find the truth and the humanity between the laughs can be a challenging thing, at least in the spoken dialogue and in these very raw, challenging scenes. Once she gets into the singing moments, then she inherently seems to know how to be utterly vulnerable, but also deliver. And this is fascinating to me, star quality and damage at the same time. There isn't as clearly defined a sense as there is on film of the performances that are going off the rails and the performances that are going thrillingly well. And that, I think, brings to this version a lot more verisimilitude. Each of these performances are raw and dancing along a knife edge of. Of utterly sensational show stopping and car crash. And it's a deliberate, ingenious choice, I think, that pays tribute to a performer who at this stage of her career was still able to really wow and thrill audiences, but was bringing with her to the stage, as indeed she had brought to the hotel room at the very beginning of this play, a great deal of baggage. Certainly, if you're coming to this, having seen Jinx Monsoon playing Judy Garland on Snatch Game, then she has a lot of the same opportunities for crowd pleasing line delivery. There are so many great one liners and zingers that Judy has written into the script and she manages to emulate the familiar vocal style with complete consistency. The whole I'm gonna love you like nobody's loved you. A much better impression than my own. Fear not. But she also has the opportunity and what I think is the most thorough and fascinating material of her stage career thus far, to explore facets and sides of Judy that aren't as often portray portrayed and recalled not only the relationship that she had to her devoted queer fans, but also the way in which she clings to this younger man who she has gravitated towards for comfort and for protection, the sexual appetite that she has. She is a fascinating creature throughout this play whose heartbreaking deterioration really justifies the theatrical examination that it gets, jumping back and forwards meanwhile to moments of her ongoing performances throughout these weeks. Weeks is a masterstroke of the play's composition, and these moments are the play's structural and dramatic punctuation. They are the exclamation points, the question marks, the ellipsis, and the moments when we particularly get to see Jinx's Judy Garland completely come to life on stage as an undeniably shining star in spite of it all. Finally, then, let me continue telling you about this production and its crew.
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Creative team. So this new production of the play has been directed by Rupert Hands, a creative whose career I am very Excited to follow for a few years now. Now he has been working, as well as on other projects at the right hand of Jamie Lloyd as an associate director on his very much talked about productions of Sunset Boulevard, Cyrano de Bergerac and Evita at the London Palladium. And he brings a similarly bold, if aesthetically very different stylistic approach to this production here. The set that we have in Soho Theatre, Walthamstow, which is designed, as are the costumes by Jack Jasmine Swan, echoes many of the features of the historic, gorgeous art deco auditorium. You have to go to this theatre at some point, even if you're not gonna have the chance to go and see this production. This is a theatrical space that needs to be seen. And there are these details within these sort of echoes of the proscenium that continue up the stage that replicate some of the features of the building. In architecture, this is called contextualism that takes into account its natural surroundings. I like to call this contextual set design. The playing space itself exists over various different levels. It's a symphony of steps draped in pleated white cloth, able to act both as swanky hotel room and performance space. There is a solitary grand piano in the middle reminding us of our purpose. And that central fixture of Judy Garland's life and that thing that she couldn't possibly get away from, it was central to her identity throughout her life, whether she wanted it to be or not. She was never going to be able to stop singing. There is a curtain at the rear of all of this which lifts up in various different ways to reveal a band playing behind with lighting that occasionally rose at the end of Gypsy Style can spell out the name Judy. I should tell you who has designed the lighting. Excuse me, that is prima meta for the lighting design. And while I'm here, Nick Barstow is the brilliant musical director of this production, with Leo Munby as musical supervisor, orchestrator and arranger. It all sounds absolutely fantastic. What a thrill to have this live band there. While Jinx is delivering classic Judy Garland renditions. Fabian Alouise, a frequent creative bedfellow of Rupert Hands, has also provided some movement direction for this production. And Dominique Hamilton is credited with wigs, hair and makeup design and supervision. And I love the looks that they have created for Jinkx as Judy, it doesn't feel like a drag interpretation, which I think is important. It feels in line with her performance in the role. Deeply honest, but at the same time it is also vibrant. It is giving you quintessential Judy with, like, the shoulder pad, sequined blazers Matching the sequined trousers that she is wearing. They save the absolute best look for last in the show when she performs inarguably, the most anticipated Judy Garland song. The dress that accompanies that, absolutely stunning. But I think everything that she wears is fantastic. There are a couple of fun costume enhancement and modulation and reveal moments throughout the thing as well. Just great work on costuming, especially considering how little time she spends off stage. I do want to circle back to what I was saying about the stage as well, which is all of these different steps. And there was a great moment when she throws a pair of less than desirable shoes in the general direction of her fiance who bought them for her, and one of them fell a few steps too many down to the lip of the stage. And that got a big reaction, as did Jinkx's effortless and immediate comedic response to this. To just kind of do a half a take to the shoe and then just kind of play it off. But also, not only is it so much more interesting to look at than a flat playing space because we have levels built in and it allows you to create the idea of a window ledge and it provides people places to sit. It also forces Jinx as Judy to constantly navigate the ascent and descent of stairs. And nothing is going to indicate to you whether or not an alcoholic has relapsed and what kind of an evening they're having and what kind of state they're in than how well they're able to climb or tumble down a staircase. And perhaps that makes it sound as though this is colored with some kind of cruelty towards Judy Garland. And it's absolutely not. The play makes it abundantly clear that she is this tragic victim figure at the center of a deeply sort of forever challenged existence. Existence. But also quite beautifully, I think the enduring message of this production is that even in the face of her inability to make the right choice and save herself from ever worsening decisions, there remained this extraordinary adoration for her and this wonderful, singular talent that she had shared during her lifetime. So often and so generous. And there is, I think, a similar generosity with which Jinkx Monsoon gives herself over to this role and to this performance. And that's a beautiful thing as well. So then, to whom do I recommend End of the Rainbow at soho Theatre, Walthamstow? Well, make no mistake, this is a meaningful and occasionally a little dark. Dark, but certainly emotionally deep play that features many sung moments, but is a dramatic play before it is anything else. If you are any kind of a fan of the work of Jinkx Monsoon. I think this is some of the best work that she has yet done on stage. I dare say there is a possibility that this will be seen by audiences ongoingly and perhaps elsewhere. A Broadway transfer may yet be on the cards. If this proves to be really successful and as well received as I hope it is is, it's also, in its own way, an important little chapter of queer history. Certainly if you are a Judy Garland fan, I think she is hugely well respected and cherished and memorialized in this production as she has been in previous productions of this same play. Go and check it out as soho Theatre Walthamster. If this sounds like it's ticking any of your boxes, of course, if you have already, please let me know what you thought of the play and Jinx's performance in the comments section down below. And if you enjoyed listening to my review, then make sure to subscribe right here on YouTube and check out many of the others that I've already shared or will be sharing very soon. You can also follow me on podcast platforms or you can sign up to my free weekly substack email newsletter, which will keep you up to date with absolutely everything I'm seeing and everything that I'm saying about it. In the meantime, thank you so much for listening to my review of End of the Rainbow. If you have any other questions, please ask them in the comments down below. And as always, I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagey day for 10 more seconds. I'm Mickey Jo, the oh my God. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagey day.
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