LONDON ROAD
CITY TO CITY D: Rufus Norris. UK. 92 min. Sep 10, 9:30 pm Elgin Sep 11, 12:30 pm, Sep 20, 6 pm Bloor Hot Docs. See listings. Rating: NNNNN
If Edgar Wright and Clio Barnard had a movie baby, it would be London Road.
A vividly cinematic adaptation of Alecky Blythe and Adam Cork’s experimental musical about the fallout from the Suffolk Strangler murders, it’s barely recognizable here as a stage play. (Which is doubly amazing given that director Norris also helmed the original 2011 National Theatre production.)
Olivia Colman leads a chorus of Ipswich residents who unwittingly lived on the same street as Steve Wright, convicted in 2008 of killing five sex workers. The story follows the community for a year or so after the discovery of the last victim, creating musical numbers out of verbatim interviews with the residents and the media that flocked to cover the story.
Tom Hardy has a small but key role, and does indeed sing. Shame this isn’t a Gala I’d love to see it play Roy Thomson Hall.
