Jamie Lloyd-helmed EVITA revival to play the London Palladium in 2025- Page 36

[Theatrefan2]

Posted: 10/24/25 at 2:22am

CoffeeBreak said: "Seb28 said: "RippedMan said: "She isn’t giving regal or anything. I could see why Webber might be miffed because I do think Lloyd’s style isn’t the best for telling a story."

I think the problem is that the director Jamie Lloyd (aside from not understanding the material and texts) lacks any form of class and maturity. The things that he thinks are “cool” are embarrassing to most adults. The constant street-style, taunting attitude of the whole ensemble, Eva, Che and Peron feels pathetic and childish. Like a community-centre performance of the gangs of West Side Story. The gestures, the trying to look cool, the aggression, the taking off their shirts multiple times, Eva literally beating up Che in the second act (Eva would never do this at this point in her character-arc), it feels like it’s directed by a 12-year old street-brat. And the characters feel like low-life, empty shells, without having actual adult interaction with eachother. It is indeed more "brat" than "regal". It's not sexy or cool at all.

Previous versions are much more mature, exciting and the fights between the characters there take place on a completely different, higher and more intelligent level which is much more thrilling. It’s all about the sophisticated political games and the differences in class and defyingthat. A depraved game on the highest levels. A psychological thriller that's exciting, matureand directed in a way that makes it clear for the audience what the stakes are and what is actually taking place.

The only moments where this productionremotely becomes alive is during dcfma and high, flying adored. After that it collapses like a house of cards again. Those were the only 2 scenes where some of the needed maturity came into play. The only 2 scenes that radiated any form of intelligence and class. The only 2 scenes where the setting and context supported the actors and the story.

Aside from those 2 scenes, it’s just a trashy concert on stairs that harms the material. Peron and Eva are being portrayed as 2 little brats from the street. With no difference in class between them. No actual relationship. No intelligence. Just aggressive, conceited little children without any form of gravity. Combined with the rest of the terrible direction, caused by Lloyd not understanding anything about the scenes or the lyrics, makes it an incoherent, lame and inadequate whole.

Even though some songs are sung really well, such as “Another suitcase”, “A New Argentina” and “Rainbow High”, it doesn’t work and the audiences have no clue what the story is about. Audiences don't understand that Eva is dead at the beginning, because she is dancing around like a pop star, chilling with the people, they don’t understand who Magaldi is, what he is doing, what his relationship with Evais, what the context is, (nobody laughed at “Your act hasn’t changed much. Neither has yours” because the audience didn’t even have a clue that there was an act, they just saw someone on the stairs) in “Good night and thank you” we don’t have any idea who these men are and if Eva was actually involved with any of them, we don’t know who Peron is, he is presented as the hot guy from the baseball club in the backstreet of the high school. We don’t know what she wants from him, we don’t know his position, his goals and we don’t see them interacting with eachother, just standing on opposite sides of the stage, blurting out lines and fist gestures. We don't see her and his character arcs. We don't know what the stakes are. We don’t know what her relationship with Che is or what her opinion of him is or why she is angry at him, and if he’s actually there in most scenes or not. We don’t know what Eva actually achieved with Peron because in act 2 she is still in the leather bra, still proving the prejudices the people had about her, there is no character-arc or growth whatsoever. And because she, the story and their relationship never grew, we don’t care about her. There basically is nothing instead of a trashy concert and trying to look cool while beating people up. She is just as unkind and aggressive in "Surprisingly good for you" as she is in "Waltz forEva and Che".

It's really a shame because the talent and potential is there, they just need a director.

If I were Andrew Lloyd Webber I wouldn't accept it either. Major changes need to be made to the production before it can go to Broadway. Before it becomes professional."

IT was fantastic in London and no one felt this way -Webber, general audiences or reviewers."

 

Actually there were plenty who didnt think it was fantastic in London. Theres just no point in saying it as you just get people shouting back at you. Same as when you dared say anything critical about Sunset.

I enjoyed it for what it was, a very well sung concert with some impressive gimmick viral moments. But the narrative was weak, many people new to the show had no idea what was going on. Rachel sang very well and gave a great performance, but she wasnt a great actress. It did feel more like Six.

Its very showy and impressive, but scratch the surface there wasnt much  depth there.

 

[The8re phan]

Posted: 10/24/25 at 7:32am

nice album, i'm enjoying the orchestrations

Updated On: 10/24/25 at 07:32 AM

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 10/24/25 at 8:41am

The full album will be released in 2026. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQL6kV4jeW7

[malcs98]

Posted: 10/24/25 at 11:27am

jacobsnchz14 said: "The full album will be released in 2026.https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQL6kV4jeW7"

Also according to SO’s latest video (which I’ll put the link down below) it appears the Lloyd on Lloyd violence has subsided and this production Evita will be coming to Broadway after all…NEXT SEASON! Rumor in the video is they’re aiming to take the Lyric Theatre in the Spring of 2027. Which honestly makes sense because if you think about it Jellicle Ball premiered summer 2024 and it took about a full year and a quarter to get to Broadway. However it does raise some questions regarding Rachel Zegler’s safety.

https://www.tiktok.com/@sweatyoracle/video/7563850069858929975