VAGABOND SKIES - Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh (19/08/25)

Drab musical adaptation of Van Gogh's tragic latter years falls flat

Depicting the lives of famous artists has been a winning formula in the past, with Stephen Sondheim's Pulitzer-winning masterpiece "Sunday in the Park with George" detailing the life and times of Georges Seurat with wonderful flair and sophistication, and more recently the Tony nominated "Lempicka" making waves on broadway. It does seem unlikely that it would have taken until 2025 for anyone to have adapted the life of, arguably, one of the most beloved artists of all time into a stage musical, as there is plenty of scope for creativity. Sadly, judging by this new adaptation, Vincent Van Gogh's life is perhaps one that should have stayed away from the world of musical theatre.

Many of us by now are aware of the tortured life Van Gogh led, outwardly ostracised and artistically excluded by peers, driven to despair, and suffering through mental illness for much of his later life, "Vagabond Skies" tells of Vincent's final decade of his life. Whilst this was artistically his most vivid and prolific period, since he had fully committed himself to his work, it also ultimately proved to be his undoing, as the toll his art, and its less than favourable public and professional response, took on his mental health, led to his tragic, untimely death at the age of 37.

Alex Bloomer

The main focus seems to be that of the relationship between Vincent and his younger brother Theo, often considered to be his sole confidante and most fervent supporter, as the show opens with a written back and forth between the two on opposite sides of the stage. Theo, portrayed by Richard Dawes in this adaptation, is ever present, even when not directly involved in the scene, he lurks, sat upstage left for much of the musical, as if to suggest he is always there for Vincent. There isn't a great deal that is made clear artistically, but this familial link is one that grounds us somewhat.

This aside though, there isn't really any sort of narrative clarity, as the plot seems muddled, directionless, and we never really gain a clear sense of where it is taking us, rather we have a series of scenes featuring Vincent and his various acquaintances, family, friends and colleagues, with a scene in a mental asylum proving particularly confusing, coming across as comical more than anything. Similarly Tony Norman's score and lyrical content are fairly unimaginative, and lack personality, a mishmash of seemingly unrelated pieces of music, transitions between which are clunky and uneven, which is particularly disappointing given that this is a sung-through musical.

Jordan Frazier, Alex Bloomer and

What was most disappointing with regard to the score though was the fact that it was pre-recorded, and this led to a number of shaky moments where the lack of a musical director holding everything together was evidently unnerving. The cast do the absolute best they can with the material and direction with which they have to work, Jordan Frazier as Agostina is particularly strong, and actually this may be the best vocal performance I've heard from her. Likewise our lead Alex Bloomer as Vincent is wonderfully poised, and at times really makes us feel for the tortured artist.

The show certainly wasn't without positives, for instance the projections adorning the rear of the stage are beautiful, often incorporating Van Gogh's own work, and these are used to great effect in line with the scenes with which they're paired. Overall though, for a show that boasts such a stellar cast of west end talent, I expected far more; whilst Van Gogh was most definitely beloved after his time, I would be surprised if Vagabond Skies gained any degree of posthumous adoration.

★★☆☆☆

"Vagabond Skies" performs at the Gilded Balloon until the 21st of August

{PR/Gifted ticket}