You Cain’t Say No: Oklahoma officially opens at the Young Vic Theatre 

Oklahoma! blesses the West End with its modern revamp and spectacular cast, taking a classic and plain musical and turning it into a uniquely comedic and haunting experience that sticks with its audience.  

This production follows the same progression as the 2019 revival, which focuses on immersion and contemporary expressionism rather than the average theatre experience. The production is set with the audience on three sides of the action, with the performance occurring on the floor in the middle, with the band and performers being up-close and personal. It adds to the atmosphere of every scene, from adding good comedic moments of Ado Annie flirting with an audience member or the uncomfortable scenes in the dark.  

The staging of the show is what heightens it from its basic source material, as well as the talent of the cast. The modern use of different techniques such as lighting, sound, etc is used perfectly throughout. The scenes that set you on edge leave you feeling shaken for a while after. The vast contrast of light is key, as we begin with the bright lights of the morning, with the stage and the audience being lit for the first 20 minutes of act 1, then we begin to go more into these different lightings, like a green that covers the performers but leaves the audience in the dark so they cannot be seen anymore, or the most effective choice, which was mainly done in involvement with Jud, where all the lights turned off completely, leaving everyone in pitch black. It immediately makes the audience tense and be wary of Jud, alike Laurey. It’s best to go into this production not knowing much of how they stage it as the surprise is what makes it so effective.  

Full Cast, photo taken by Marc Brenner

The cast themselves are fantastic, with vocals that go to the core of your soul. Arthur Darvill as Curly McLain was hauntingly charismatic, going from Laurey’s teasing lover to Jud’s feared rival. His scenes can easily switch between the two, all whilst singing with a gorgeous country twang. His vocals certainly shocked me when he opened the show, but a standout was “Pore Jud is Daid.”  

Marisha Wallace stole everyone’s hearts as Ado Annie Carnes, our reckless romantic who “Caint Say No”. You can pick out her voice from a mile away, it is that strong even in ensemble moments. Her comedic timing was perfection at every moment, especially her scenes with Stavros Demetraki as Ali Hakim and James Davis as Will Parker. This trio were comedic gold and as soon as a scene between them started, the audience knew it was going to be hilarious. The whole ensemble was perfectly in sync with each other, and their choral singing brought goosebumps every time, especially in the title song “Oklahoma!”.