The inevitable internet babble has begun over whether this is a move of huge cynicism on behalf of the show's producers - grab a famous name, any famous name, and people will fork out for tickets - or something altogether more savvy, especially given the nature of the play. reasons is the final part of Neil LaBute's loose trilogy of plays about body image, a follow up of sorts to his previous plays, Fat Pig and The Shape of Things.
reasons focuses on Greg and his girlfriend Steph, whom he insults by calling "regular" (which, in her book, is worse than "ugly"). It started life off-Broadway at MCC Theater at the Lucille Lortel Theatre last year before making the leap to the Great White Way (and being considerably re-written in the process).
The casting of musicians and 'non-professional' actors is par for the course in shows like Chicago, so it seems a tad harsh for some commentators to already be citing Madonna's ill-advised stint on the West End stage in comparison. We were early adoptors on the Allen front, so we will refrain from passing judgment until we've seen her in action. But whatever happens with this play, it's sure to make a noise.
