BONNIE AND CLYDE CAST RECORDING

“Everybody’s got dreams – I’ve got plans”.

Perhaps the most anticipated musical theatre album this year, the long-awaited West End cast recording of Bonnie and Clyde has finally been released, and let me tell you, it does not disappoint! With the incredible Frances Mayli Mccann as Bonnie and Jordan Luke Gage as Clyde, this album is blessed with the amazing vocals of many West End stars, including Jodie Steele and George Maguire. This certainly is an album the world will remember!

The main difference I noticed in this album in comparison to its 2012 Broadway predecessor, featuring Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes is the inclusion of dialogue. This album includes lots of dialogue and reprises that I would say help listeners connect further to the story, giving us context for moments that are perhaps more difficult to appreciate away from the stage. Some of the most heartbreaking moments from the show, (which I shall not spoil for the mere three people who have yet to see Bonnie and Clyde!) performed by Jodie Steele truly tug at your heartstrings, perhaps more for the fact that they were not included in the Broadway cast recording and are more unexpected. I was certainly caught off guard by these tracks upon my first listen, and I have to say it felt like an emotional punch… The dialogue and extra songs build an emotional roller coaster, and while the original Broadway recording is easily one of my most listened-to and loved albums, I would say that listeners would go through less of a journey in comparison to the West End one.

But let’s talk about the vocals themself – this album is truly privileged to have some of the best voices on the West End today! Frances Mayli Mccann is simply nothing short of flawless, with so many iconic numbers like “Dying Ain’t so Bad” and “How bout a Dance?”, to which you can truly appreciate her range. Jordan Luke Gage is the perfect Clyde Barrow, cheeky and likeable, particularly in the early aspects of the show, but then driven and emotionally wrecked in songs like “Raise a Little Hell” – I have to say my favourite vocal moment in the whole show is the final belt in that song, and Gage certainly did not disappoint! Jodie Steele and George Maguire are also phenomenal as Blanche and Buck Barrow, with incredible range – they have some of the most hysterical moments in the show alongside the most traumatic, which they navigate phenomenally.

Overall, this album is a work of art, and I’m so excited to be able to listen to it on repeat following its release! I also have to give a special mention to the final track, a rendition of “Dying Ain’t so Bad” by alternates Lauren Jones and Barney Wilkinson, which is beautiful not just for the song itself, but for its recognition of swings and understudies. This album, produced by Katy Richardson and Sam Featherstone, released through Broadway Records, will certainly raise a little hell upon its release!

The Bonnie and Clyde cast recording is available to stream and buy now!

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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