From Here To Eternity. Charing Cross Theatre.

After a couple of duds in Zorro and The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore, the Charing Cross Theatre finally has a quality production on its hands.

From Here To Eternity thankfully lacks the camp feel-goodery of many West End musicals. In fact in its depiction of military life on Hawaii in the two weeks before the Pearl Harbour attack, it is an uber-masculine and much darker beast altogether. Tart-with-a heart Lorene (Desmonda Cathabel, who shines best in the love duet Love Me Forever Today) and cynical Captain’s wife Karen (Carley Stenson) provide the putative (and thinly written) romantic interest. But its really the Army and boxing that most of these boys love – an amour expressed most obviously in the bittersweet I Love the Army, one of the show’s best songs, and the smoky southern country ditty Ain’t Where I Wanna Be Blues.

Jonathon Bentley is on great form as reluctant boxer Prewitt (surely a metaphor for America’s reluctant entry into World War 2) whose big number, Fight the Fight, suggests an outsider born without faith in much save himself, his girl, and the army. Eve Polycarpou is great as the gravel voiced, tough as old boots Madam. Jonny Amies underwhelms somewhat as Maggio, perhaps because his journey from G company favourite to despised prison inmate is never full explained.

Director Brett Smock keeps the momentum up and makes the best use of the theatre’s transverse layout – always a challenge for actors and creatives alike. Worth seeing.

Tim Rice (lyrics),

Stuart Brayson (music)

Donald Rice and Bill Oakes (book)

Directed by Brett Smock

20 November 2022

Duration: 2 hours 30 mins. One interval.