“There is no real me: only an entity, something illusory. Though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable… I simply am not there.”
If I’m honest, the main draw for me to go and see American Psycho: The Musical at the Almeida Theatre, was that Matt Smith was starring as Patrick Bateman, and also to spite my mother as she was unable to get any tickets.
I’ve never read the book. I hadn’t seen the film adaptation. I had no clue what to expect, except to try and get Matt Smith to smile at me in the audience.
It was amazing.
Everything was perfect to a tee. Every actor really took over their role, every dance move was eye catching and the use of original and 80’s music was brought together so wonderfully, I’m slightly ashamed that I paid a mere £5 for my fourth row ticket. This show deserved my full attention, and it certainly got that as Matt’s first entrance was to rise from the ground in nothing but a pair of very tight, white pants. Beautiful.
The murders themselves were achieved wonderfully, the use of dramatic lighting and music really helped to highlight the violence that Bateman used against all his victims and sex scenes were definitely sexy. However, the highlight for me in the entire performance had to be the exchanging of business cards alongside an original score of music, which really helped to bring to life the ridiculous seriousness behind this moment between the men on stage.
American Psycho is most definitely one of the top shows I have seen in my lifetime and, while that is only a mere 20 years, I don’t think there can be many which will top what I saw that night. If you manage to get a ticket to see the show (it is sold out online but you are able to queue for tickets every night for each performance) then make it your goal to see this. You’ll definitely leave feeling as astounded as I was, and not just because he actually smiled at me!
Article: Charlotte Cole
Photographs: theguardian.com (Main); variety.com (Featured).