Bowjangles: Classically Untamed
Bowjangles: Classically Untamed
A best bits compilation show from this legendary comedy string quartet, at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.
Bowjangles describe themselves as theatrical musicians, but this string quartet is far beyond any possible suitably accurate description in my view. You get beautiful classical music, brilliantly inventive storytelling and performance techniques, astute comic writing, and physical comedy that’s brimming with energy and passion. All the while they’re not for one second taking anything too seriously, and it becomes very difficult to not get immediately swept up into the sparkling joy of it all.
We’ve seen Bowjangles before, both their previous times at Theatre Royal in fact - the myths and legends epic Excalibow in 2020, a mix of original songs and reworked classics, and then their completely original sci-fi horror comedy Dracula in Space in 2022. Both of those shows are superb, so when we had another chance to see them live we were very excited to take it.
This latest show - Classically Untamed - is essentially a compilation of their best bits, self-curated from a body of work spanning 18 years; with some gleeful expositional storytelling and charming anecdotes along the way, or some efficient scene-setting for the sections they directly lift from those previously mentioned shows. Thus it becomes a condensed biography of the group itself in a way, from introductions to origins, and with plenty of opportunities to show off their spectacular skills along the way.
The four performers are Ezme Gaze - gravity defying cello player and the group’s manager; Mitch McGugan - first violin and amateur interpretive dancer; Oliver Izod - second violin and piano, plus a classically trained ac-tor; and Bertie Anderson - playing viola (“big violin”) and responsible for all the original music and arrangements. Their years together really show because it’s like watching a happy family of siblings play and revel together on stage. Everything they do is so magically captivating and joyful.
It is a treat to hear some of the brilliant songs from Excalibow and Dracula in Space again live, particularly the iconic and fabulously anti-misogynist anthem ‘I Got This’ - I’ve listened to them many times on the CDs (what are those things) I’ve bought from them before, but even these are subtly reworked to better fit into this greatest hits form. We also get to see some of their sillier pieces, for example Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik performed as a tennis match, or Pachelbel’s Canon while being pelted with foam balls and trying to catch them on their heads.
There are also a few more pieces which are presented “exactly as the composers would have intended” which translates to their shifting to bouncy acapella/scat singing, jaunty swing versions, or even just morphing into duelling banjos style back and forth instead. None of this silliness takes away even slightly from the sumptuous nature of their music, with their collective talents on full display across their instruments and vocals.
Each half of this show is stuffed to bursting with their wonderful playful brilliance, and each half goes by far too quickly indeed, before we know it we’re at the end of the show, but not before we’ve all had a line dance together - a challenge in a space like this - and they’ve had their audience shouting for one more song to finish with.
Mitch, Bertie, Ezme and Oliver after the show.
The whole time I was beaming with delight, as was my wife, and as a bonus my eldest who was with us also discovered what wonderful treasures these people are. Whether you think you like classical music or not, you’re sure to have an absolutely fantastic time at any Bowjangles performance.
🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻 / 5
Find out more about the group and their upcoming tour dates on their website
You can also find their albums on Bandcamp
I was not given anything in exchange for this review, we bought our own tickets and pin badges.
