10 reasons to see Martin Guerre at the Old Vic
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This revival of **Alain Boubil** and **Claude-Michel Schonberg**’s musical is **Matthew Warchus**’ swansong at the theatre he has run so successfully since 2015. He’s unlikely to go out on a dud. Particularly as he is flying high at the moment with the transfer of the summer hit, Pride, from the NT to the Bridge. He is great at musicals, responsible for both [*Matilda*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/matilda-the-musical-tickets) and the best staging of *Follies* I’ve ever seen.
If he reckons [*Martin Guerre*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/martin-guerre-tickets) has got real legs, we should believe him. In fact, he is making darn sure that it does by premiering a brand new version of the musical which was first seen in the West End 30 years ago this year but which has since undergone numerous revisions. Warchus is describing it as “radically reworked" with new lyrics and new folk-inflected orchestrations, which Warchus has been developing for some time. This is a passion project for Warchus.
It’s a reminder that musicals are not written but fixed. And that can take many years. In fact, following lukewarm reviews (too long, too French, too complicated was the verdict) at its July 1996 premiere, *Martin Guerre* got its first major rewrite during the first six months of its run, re-opening in November 1996 over 50 per cent rewritten and far more appealing. It went onto win the 1997 Olivier for Best Musical. It was a flop which was reinvented as a hit.
But Boubil and Schonberg were still not satisfied. Like the hero of the story itself, they keep returning to the musical, and the bets are on that this could be the version that makes *Martin Guerre* as successful as their other hits. It has always lagged alongside [*Les Misérables*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/les-miserables-tickets) and [*Miss Saigon*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/miss-saigon-tickets). The latter is returning to the West End in 2027 in a revival at the [Prince Edward Theatre](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/prince-edward-theatre-london) directed by **Luke Sheppard**.
Sure, there are no barricades and no helicopters in [*Martin Guerre*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/martin-guerre-tickets), but it sounds as if Warchus is not trying to make up for the lack of spectacle for which Boubil and Schonberg are known but rather playing to the piece’s emotional strengths and moral complexities with a pared-back staging. That, along with the rewrites, could be just what it needs to make it fly.
It is a fascinating story, one which is based on true events in medieval France when a man living in a small village abandoned his wife but then apparently returned seven years later. But is he the same man, or is it an imposter? It’s a story which has fascinated people since it first appeared back in the 16th century. There have been two major movies based on the tale: the return of *Martin Guerre* and the Hollywood version, Sommersby, the latter with **Richard Gere** and **Jodie Foster**.
But it also feels like a very contemporary story in our own times raising issues around personal growth and reinvention and identity theft. Can a good result ever justify bad actions?
The [Old Vic](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/old-vic-theatre-london)’s in-the-round configuration has made us see old plays anew—including the recent **Tom Stoppard** revival *Arcadia*—and its immersive possibilities could well be very good for *Martin Guerre*, a show likely to remind us that less can sometimes deliver more.
The choreography comes from **Lizzi Gee**, who did such great work on [*Pride*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/pride-tickets), including that moment when the Welsh miners learn to disco dance.
It should be a thrilling goodbye from Warchus, always such an intelligent, nifty director who took over at the [Old Vic](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/old-vic-theatre-london) at a difficult time following the tenure of **Kevin Spacey**. He departs on a high, more than paving the way for the arrival of **Rupert Goold** from the Almeida, who, if he can’t run the NT or the RSC, should have lots of fun in The Cut.