Sexism, secrets and the Mendelssohns

Fanny
Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, west Berkshire, until June 15

In the arts world – as in so many others – the contribution of women has often been shamefully overlooked. Calum Finlay goes some way to redressing the balance in Fanny, his clever, witty examination of the life of Fanny Mendelssohn, the lesser known sister of the composer and conductor Felix Mendelssohn who happened to have been a musical prodigy in her own right.

It was deemed expedient for a number of her pieces – including Italien, probably Queen Victoria’s favourite pieces of music – to be published under her brother’s name. In the title role, Charlie Russell is on tremendous form – a tremendous mixture of brilliance, exasperation and resignation – and there are amusing turns, too, from Harry Kershaw as her brother Paul, Kim Ismay as the haughty matriarch, George Howard as her putative son-in-law Willhelm and Corey Montague-Sholay as Felix.

Katie-Ann McDonough’s direction is assured and the designer Sophia Pardon makes the production seem a lot bigger and more opulent than it actually is. The composer and musical director Yshani Perinpanyagam also rises to the occasion.

It is, however, Finlay’s words – funny, sad and informed, always making you wonder what’s going to happen next – that elevates this piece into something sublime.