The 3 Musketeers
D’Artagnan makes the bold choice to move from the impoverished outskirts of France to the city of Carcassonne. She has a dream, she is going to become the fourth member of The 3 Musketeers. All she has to do is prove herself. Meanwhile, the evil Cardinal Richelieu, who plans on taking over France now that the king has died, has trapped Prince Louis in a guarded tower. Desperate to be rescued, Prince Louis sends out an S.O.S, which files into the hands of the Musketeers…
This brand new play with music, written by Anthony Spargo, makes its official debut at Greenwich Theatre.
Design wise, the show is relatively simple. A castle ruin dominates the back of the stage space, which gives the space a real sense of depth and creates levels to allow for more dynamic movement direction. The costumes do a good job of reflecting the characters wearing them and help with maintaining the French setting during the show. The lighting is the real stand-out characteristic of the show’s design with its creativity and consideration about how it impacts the scene and the characters within it. Additionally, it also creates differentiation between the character’s inner world and the outside world that they live in, which is particularly key considering the format of this show’s storytelling.
Speaking of which, the show definitely feels like it borders on pantomime storytelling, which makes sense given that a part of Spargo’s background is in pantomime scriptwriting. Most of the characters are very much larger than life and the integration of covers of pop songs for the most part makes sense within the storyline, that being said there are a few wild cards in the mix.
However, unfortunately the show lacks a lot of dramatic tension, which would be fine in a pantomime, but not necessarily for a play with music. The villain doesn’t feel particularly fleshed out enough to make us root against them or challenge us. D’Artagnan’s chance to show off her sword fighting skills (Fight Direction by Sean Croft) to The Musketeers, feels a bit under-considered in the sense that before that point we don’t get the chance to see the Musketeers fighting prowess, nor do we get to see that she is particularly gifted enough to join these legends. To that end, whilst there is good variation in the group of Musketeers, we are left wondering why they are so legendary.
This may all be to do with the fact that the scenes feel rushed and some plot points feel misplaced for the sake of pure entertainment. To improve the script could be developed more to enable the show to have more depth, which would enable the audience to really believe in and root for the characters. Additionally, this would also give the show a stronger pace, thereby a stronger hook, enabling us to really feel the intended energy of the show. Not to mention that there is clearly a target audience in mind (that of a family audience), however the show seems to hold back through trying not to alienate anyone and in doing so, seems to miss altogether by not making strong choices.
That being said, the comedy and entertainment value in the show is fairly strong. The one liners are quick witted and the actors have snappy comedic timing. The songs are performed on stage to an incredibly high standard both in terms of singing quality and musicianship. And though we feel that the first sword fight lacks tension, the second sword fight is thrilling with its stylish direction and sharp pace. We wish there were more moments like this, it's clear to see that the show has great potential if it was developed further.
It is important to note that this is a community/fringe theatre show and in this respect, it does pretty well. The cast is so strong that it's hard to pick a stand out actor, the show is quite funny and the production makes the most of the stage space and the resources available.
It is also worth saying that the show is undoubtedly well intentioned with its messages about not letting others define your limits, that assumptions should be abandoned as they tend to lead people to be greatly underestimated, that failure is a good thing because it allows you to grow, especially when your heart is in the right place and that no-one is irredeemable if they’re willing to admit their wrongdoings and begin the process of learning from them.
A charming community show with great intentions and great potential. Fun and entertaining enough to be interesting.
This show was reviewed on the 1st August 2025 at Greenwich Theatre, London where it runs until the 24th August 2025. Tickets here: The 3 Musketeers - Greenwich Theatre
Review written by Megan O'Neill
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Photo credit : Lidia Crisafulli
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