THE PRINCE OF EGYPT

UK, 2022, 150 minutes, Colour.

Luke Brady, Liam Tamine, Christine Allado, Alexia Kharmide, Silas Wyatt-Barke, Joe Dixon, Gary Wilmot, Debbie Carew, Adam Pearce.

Directed by Scott Schwartz (Theatre), Brett Sullivan (film).

Famed lyricist and composer, Stephen Schwartz, had had great success with Godspell, Pippin, Wicked and the score for a number of feature films including DreamWorks 1998, The Prince of Egypt. He has used his songs from the film version for this theatrical expansion, adding a number of new songs.

This is a filmed at the Dominion Theatre in London.

Most audiences will be familiar with the plot, their knowledge of the book of Exodus from the Jewish Scriptures, of the story of Moses and so many films like DeMille’s The 10 Commandments in the 1990s telling of Moses story starring Ben Kingsley.

For audiences not familiar with the story, there is quite some drama, played out in the various scenes of this telling, the persecution of the Hebrews, the baby Moses being found by Pharaoh’s daughter, his being brought up as the brother of Pharaoh’s son, Ramses, the youth together, touches of recklessness, Moses and his discovery of his origins, his departure to Midian, the experience of God and the burning bush, his marriage to Jethro’s daughter, his mission of return to plead for the freedom for the Hebrew people, sister Miriam supporting him, his brother Aaron wary of him, the mixed reactions of Ramses who is now married and has an heir, the death of his father. Then there is the drama of the confrontation, the high priest, the 10 plagues, the escape from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the escape.

But, there is a difference in the relationship between Moses and Ramses, Ramses’ assertion of himself as Pharaoh but his memories of bonding with Moses, their meeting at the parting of the waters, Moses telling Ramses to go back and build up Egypt’s, a more positive ending for Egypt as well as for the Hebrews going into the Exodus and desert and the covenant with God on Mount Sinai and the 10 commandments.

The great advantage of this version is the music and the singing performances. However, there are some spoken sequences which sound rather mundane in comparison with the music and the articulation of lyrics. Sometimes, when the dialogue has the pace and tone of the song lyrics, the development of the drama is more credible.

However, the other great advantage is the extraordinary staging, the sets, the use of lighting, projection, creation of all kinds, of the atmosphere of loneliness in the desert to the spectacle of the parting of the waves for going through the Red Sea.

And, there is an interesting reliance on the physicality of the supporting cast and chorus, the dances, often acrobatic, especially the way that such scenes as the chariot race through the market is staged, Moses and Ramses a top the swaying dancers’ support, the colour and height of the burning bush. And, while there is constant loud audience applause, there is the staging of the Exodus from the stage through the theatre aisles themselves.

To that extent, one appreciates the development and possibilities for musical theatre.

And, here is the list of songs.

Titles of songs which appeared in the original 1998 animated film are in bold.

Act II

• "Return to Egypt" - Tzipporah, Hotep and Company
• "Always On Your Side" - Ramses and Moses
• "Simcha" - Moses, Miriam, Tzipporah and Company
• "Deliver Us (Reprise II)" - Aaron and Company
• "The Plagues" - Moses, Hotep, Ramses, Nefertari, Miriam, Queen Tuya, Aaron and Company
• "For the Rest of My Life" - Moses
• "Heartless" - Nefertari
• "When You Believe" - Miriam, Tzipporah, Moses and Company
• "Never in a Million Years (Reprise)" - Tzipporah and Moses
• "Act II Finale: When You Believe (Reprise) / Footprints on the Sand (Reprise)" - Miriam, Moses, Yocheved, Tzipporah, Seti, Queen Tuya, Jethro, Aaron, Company