Melanie Martinez might have come to prominence on the US edition of The Voice but she’s proven herself more imaginative than your average talent show contestant.
Queen of the conceit, her concept-driven art-pop has always boasted a rich visual language and never more so than on her last LP — 2019’s K-12 — which arrived accompanied by a self-directed feature film of the same name.
Essentially a pastel-hued fever dream set in a sinister high school, last night the 24-year-old New Yorker attempted to translate the twisted fairy tale to the stage with the help of six dancers, a giant video screen and a constant procession of sumptuous costume changes and elaborate props.
At times, the effect was undeniably spectacular. During Show & Tell she sang inside a rococo, heart-shaped box, arms shackled like a puppet, while Nurse’s Office saw her strapped to an ornate hospital bed, being wheeled around by ominous school nurses.
Even more striking was Strawberry Shortcake, which found her performing 10ft in the air, atop a giant skirt, while the venue was gradually perfumed with the scent of strawberries.
Unfortunately, as a result of such ambitious staging there were lengthy breaks between songs for sets and props to be rearranged, which ultimately robbed the show of any momentum.
Not as slick as pure musical theatre, but lacking the euphoric energy of a pop concert, it was a performance destined to disappoint fans of either discipline. Maybe it’s time for Martinez to rein in her imagination.
