MUSICAL REVIEW: Bonnie and Clyde ★★★★

From the moment the lights dim to that final, haunting chord, Bonnie & Clyde at The Old Joint Stock proves to be a night of bold ambition and emotional commitment. In this intimate staging of Frank Wildhorn’s musical, director Emily Susanne Lloyd has created a version that feels raw, urgent, and deeply felt.

Indialily Cooper brings a fiery vulnerability to Bonnie Parker — she is at once defiant and fragile, yearning for love, fame, and escape. Her duets sparkle, especially in “You Love Who You Love,” where time almost seems to slow. Opposite her, Samuel Murray’s Clyde Barrow is charismatic and troubled, carrying a weight of regret under his bravado. Their chemistry crackles, and the tension between them never relaxes.

The production’s use of the Old Joint Stock’s compact space is mostly clever: a traverse layout keeps the action close, while projections and ambient sound help flesh out moments that the small set itself can’t. The live band tucked upstairs adds an extra layer of grit to the blues‑gospel-rockabilly score. But occasionally the balance feels uneasy — certain transitions drag, and at times the storytelling leans too heavily on mood rather than narrative clarity.

Still, there’s no denying its power. The show is not always comfortable — it lingers on moral ambiguity and heartbreak rather than glamorising the legend — and yet its emotional resonance carries long after the curtain falls. With strong leads and daring staging, Bonnie & Clyde at the Old Joint Stock is a thrilling, imperfect gem — well worth your ticket.