For the Lack of Laura

Shaw Theatre London

Playing until 2nd August 2025

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Photo credit: Brigid Vinnell

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This Celtic-inspired fantasy musical is set in motion when Laura rules out finding her soul mate at home - and the bargain she makes with a sorceress, Gwendolethe, to travel through time as an immortal being, seeking him out anywhere but Ireland.

But before the first of 26 songs, filmic production credits roll on the screens above the on-stage orchestra and fixed cliff-edge scenery. There's less of a disconnect here with what follows though, as this is steeped in Hollywood-style imaginings of Ireland.

This is a magical tale however, created by Kurt Rosenberg and presented by the Morgan Brothers. We genuinely enjoy the hypnotic harp, pipes and tin whistle and expensive tailored tweed of the villagers before we are jolted back to the screens where the planets are aligning digitally.

This signals that Laura will be transported thorugh time to her first suitor, having learned that the payback for Gwendolethe's spell is that when Laura finds her man, the immortality will pass to them. And all because Gwendolethe has a score to settle with Laura's father. And the cycle continues.

By the end of Act 1, although we have dropped briefly into the typical habitats of the suitors - a Spanish matador, a French Impressionist painter, a playwright from the American South, a Bolshoi ballet dancer, and an English vicar – we won’t know who she chooses in Act 2, although some don’t seem the right match at all. 

Throughout, the orchestra is faultless and Jane Patterson is captivating as Laura, clear-voiced and confident in her love quest. Mo Lambardo is equally watchable, both as Gwendolethe or when adding emotional character in the ensemble to a suitor scene, as is Emma Daly as Maggie, Laura's best friend, who has her own love story closer to home. Of the male characters, Lenny Turner as Allan, the English vicar and Cian Forde as Conor, Laura's father give strong vocal performances.

So what lacked? The cliff-edge scenery potentially served as a screen for the chorus hidden from view but was a tad too wide – at least when seated facing stage right. Performers couldn’t be seen fully descending from the cliff path that runs along the edge, instead appearing to disappear into the wings, emerging back on-stage hair-pin fashion. This was most distracting when Gwendolethe was mid-flow – better sight of the whole cliff path would be preferable to losing sight of her momentarily.

A glorious huge moon was suspended stage left. Perhaps a missed opportunity not to focus the audience more on this occasionally through variations in lighting, given the static and already sparse set. There were also times I lost sight of Laura when she was not specifically lit.

At two hours, more of the humour glimpsed when Gwendolethe looks knowingly at her outstretched-arm stance, or the four spurned suitors realise their rejection or when the village realise who Laura has picked, would elevate the experience. And Mikail (Barra Convery) gives this in spades as the self-obsessed Bolshoi ballet dancer.

Although the mention of an immersion heater pierces the Hollywood image of Ireland, more could be done to remedy this.

The age 10+ advisory is spot on – there isn’t much here for younger children in this grown-up tale so don't be misled by the slightly child-centred poster.

Creatives

Creator, Composer and Writer: Kurt Rosenberg

Director: Luke Morgan

Musical Director: Jake Morgan

Choreographer: Declan J. Gardiner

Costume Design: Margarita Belova

Production Design: Kin San Pedro

Lighting Design: Dylan Maguire

Producers: Kurt Rosenberg, Luke Morgan and Jake Morgan