Theatre review: A joyous celebration of homegrown musical talent in Cork Opera House

There’s No Place Like Home is a homecoming for featured Cork performers Molly Lynch, Claire O’Leary and Shane O’Riordan, who are joined by beloved soprano Majella Cullagh and seasoned West End star Killian Donnelly

Claire O'Leary, Killian Donnelly, Majella Cullagh, Shane O'Riordan, and Molly Lynch performing at 'There's No Place Like Home' at Cork Opera House. Picture: Shane J Horan

★★★★☆

There’s No Place Like Home, part of the Cork Proms, and billed as a musical theatre revue, sets out its stall from the start with a punchy and funny performance of the song ‘A Musical’ from the lesser-known Something Rotten, which pays a delightful homage to the genre.

Staged under the auspices of Cork Midsummer Festival, the show is a homecoming for featured Cork performers Molly Lynch, Claire O’Leary and Shane O’Riordan. They are joined by Cork’s beloved soprano Majella Cullagh and Kildare native and seasoned West End star Killian Donnelly, both of whom have a commanding stage presence.

The programme features numbers from shows that might be less familiar to a general audience, such as Beetlejuice, Shrek and The Hunchback of Notre Dame but it’s the old favourites that get the best reaction; Donnelly and Cullagh make a brilliant double act in 'Master of the House' from Les Miserables, and 'Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)' from Annie Get Your Gun. Cullagh relishes the comic potential in both numbers while leaning into her operatic range in a moving rendition of 'Climb Every Mountain'.

Molly Lynch and Claire O'Leary in 'There's No Place Like Home'. Picture: Shane J Horan

The connection of the particular songs to the theme of ‘home’ is a bit tenuous at times, and the links between numbers occasionally miss the mark but the talent on stage carries it through. Lynch and O’Leary shine in the slower, more emotive, solo numbers, 'Waving Through a Window' from Dear Evan Hansen, and 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' from The Wizard of Oz. 'Agony' from Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim is an entertaining double-hander from O’Riordan and Donnelly as the two princes.

The Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra, on stage under the baton of musical director Colm O’Regan, bring a textural depth to proceedings while the talented junior ensemble give a sparky and energetic performance in 'It’s A Hard Knock Life' from Annie and 'Consider Yourself' from Oliver!

Killian Donnelly performing at Cork Opera House. Picture: Shane J Horan

A surprising omission on the night, especially given the theme of the show, is 'Bring Him Home', the stirring Les Mis classic famously sung by Irish tenor Colm Wilkinson, and more recently by Donnelly, who has played Jean Valjean in several iterations of the legendary production. 

In addition, whereas the on-point opening number elicits cheers and hollers from the audience, the finale is less in tune with the Proms spirit, with the puzzling choice of the mawkish, vocally challenging 'You Will Be Found' from Dear Evan Hansen. It is a shame to have such a relatively downbeat finish to what overall is a wonderfully joyous celebration of homegrown musical talent.

• There’s No Place Like Home continues tonight at Cork Opera House. See corkoperahouse.ie.