Review | The Impossible Trial review: classic Cantonese musical is updated and improved
With a new cast and subtle changes to plot, lighting and choreography, this musical about a criminal lawyer in ancient China is a winner
Some of the longest-running musicals in the world, such as Les Misérables, took years of refinement before they finally hit the right note, and even then they had to be tweaked to keep up with the times.
The changes to the content and the staging are subtle. Happily, the set retains the pièce de résistance: the revolving platform that ratchets up the tension during combative exchanges between characters. But minor alterations to the fast-paced dialogue, the lighting and choreography are sufficient to ensure that the story – a radical spin-off from a 19th-century folk tale – no longer feels convoluted.
Now, the Dickensian transformation of the protagonist nicknamed Ridiculous Mirror – because of the lies he spins to win in court – glides along at a slick pace, and the intricate plot twists are more clearly explained.
An additional delight – and the biggest change – is the new cast. They are alternating with the first cast during the current four-week run, after making their debut during the sold-out tour in Shanghai and Beijing in June and July.