Sondheim’s Company was always tragicomic, examining the marriages of its thirty-something New Yorker characters to find that joy and despair exist at the same time. Fennec Fox Productions’ take—exciting and bright, with a terrific cast and production— is the most fun you will have while thinking about the loneliness that seems intrinsic to human relationships. 

The classical musical explores how age reveals the frightening responsibility we have for our own lives. In this production, the characters frolic about in what resembles an indoor play area, a choice that reminds one of a kindergarten, when marriage was just a part of playing house, as they see the adult Robert struggling with its discontents, observing his friends’ marriages as a conflicted bachelor. Holly Rust’s brilliant stagecraft is brought to life by the excellent production, with memorable props and minimalistic set changes, as well as lively but undistracting lighting. A particularly dazzling moment was during a party scene, when the stage lighting was pointed directly at the audience to evoke the atmosphere of a club. The stage design continually lends itself to this playful use of irony, as priests glide down slides and characters comment on the ‘masculinity’ of the primary colour scheme, and greatly enhances both the themes and the humour (if they can really be separated) of the story.

Speaking of the humour, other highlights of the evening were the spectacular performances of the cast, with their chemistry and comedic timing reminding one of the few good sitcoms. Aaron Gelkoff was excellent as our protagonist, Bobby; his balanced performance, playing his character as equally charming and pitiable, made the musical deeply relatable, whereas his powerful voice made its songs all the more enjoyable. While it cannot be stressed just how good everyone in the supporting cast was, the most outstanding performers were Graciela Blandon as Sarah, Rosie Sutton as Amy, and Orla Watt as Joanne. Blandon had the audience in stitches with her joyful and bouncy performance, Sutton did the same with her jumpy singing and amiable neuroticism in the song, Getting Married Today, and Watt acted with suavity and poise, owning the moment when she finally reveals the moral of this picaresque fable, “that’s the story of your life — you meant to!”

The cast, dressed by Hannah Walton in 70s-inspired, colourful costumes that were idiosyncratic and memorable without being gaudy (or perhaps, just gaudy enough to work), had equally varied voices. The different voices only added to the chemistry, creating a wonderful auditory experience, through a kaleidoscopic mixture of tones, pitches and techniques. There were some issues, however, with the band, as it felt like both the immensely talented instrumentalists and vocalists were at odds, with the singers performing against rather than with the music. This was nothing that altering the microphones can’t fix, and the only evident issue with an otherwise terrifically polished and professional production.

This take on Company was an excellent interpretation of a story that, as the director Joshua Robey himself admits, seems like it should not work for a younger audience like the one in Oxford, but still does. The terrifying weight of adulthood and how we crave, but also fear, serious intimacy are eternal experiences, as anyone who has been in a situationship will be glad to tell you. Fennec Fox’s Company, through playing with these anxieties, shows us how these fears and needs can only be resolved through comfort and levity with these unavoidable contradictions.

[Company, staged by Fennec Fox Productions, is running at the Oxford Playhouse, 28th-31st January.]