For The Lack Of Laura

THEATRE REVIEW

For The Lack Of Laura

at Shaw Theatre, London

“A show that is so nearly very good”

The Shaw Theatre is such a lovely space - and it has a marvellous history. So it was a pleasure to pop down and be entertained by the visions of Kurt Rosenberg. For The Lack Of Laura has been 25 years in the making. It still has a few years to go yet…

A wonderful cast of 16 performers, plus a live 12-piece orchestra (many of whom are hidden behind the set) do their utmost with the material. But they do struggle at times.

[Jane Patterson as Laura]

Laura, a pompously annoying young Irish heroine (think Alice while she’s in Wonderland), bizarrely accepts an immortality bargain from Gwendolethe, who is an evil sorceress. The bargain allows Laura to travel through time and space where she meets five different potential suitors as she seeks true love: a matador, a vicar, a ballet dancer, an impressionist painter and a playwright. Who will she choose - will there be a happy ending?

Personally, I’m not quite sure what the stakes are in the bargain. The sorceress doesn’t appear to gain anything except, perhaps, a part in next year’s panto as a worthy villain.

[Mo Lombardo as Gwendolethe, with Laura]

The songs (all 26 of them!) come and go, some better than others. None memorable enough to leave the audience humming as they leave. Too many scene changes unfortunately create a clunky stop-start judder, like a misfiring limousine. For there is quality here. The singing, the music, the bravery in the vision. But I think director Luke Morgan struggles to keep the show moving through all its genres. The overall air is that of a community play where everyone is doing their best, but excellence is just beyond them through no fault of their own.

[Patrick with Maggie - played by Brian May and Emma Daly]

There is so much to like, though. The staging (perhaps with too much reliance on the digital screens) is imaginative and playful. For me, Allan the vicar and Salvador the matador (Lenny Turner and Keith Hanley respectively) get to grips with the difficult material. A subplot involving the romance between two villagers, Maggie (played by Emma Daly) and Patrick (Brian May), is so sweet, it’s wonderful.

[Laura with Salvador - played by Keith Hanley]

For The Lack Of Laura is a show that is so nearly very good. I hope its journey continues and it carries on growing in confidence.

Photography Brigid Vinnell

Director Luke Morgan

Musical Director Jake Morgan

Choreographer Declan J Gardiner

Production Design Kin San Pedro

Creator, Composer Kurt Rosenberg

& Writer

Venue Shaw Theatre, 110 Euston Road, London NW1 2AJ

Until Saturday 2nd August 2025

Tickets £29 (£24 conc) from www.shaw-theatre.com

Tel: 020 7666 9037

Showtimes 7.30pm daily (no shows on 28th and 29th July)

Running Time 140 minutes - inc interval

Ages Suitable 10+

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Website www.forthelackoflaura.com