The Ballad of Anne and Mary: The Renaissance of Musical Audio Fiction
Last updated on September 6th, 2021
I wish I had learned more about pirates in school. I get why they probably might have skimmed over that era to try and teach the rest of history, but every time I hear something about pirates, it just sounds fascinating. The majority of my knowledge of pirates comes from Assassins Creed: Black Flag, which is mainly just my fault.
I also have a well developed love for musicals, so when I heard about The Ballad of Anne and Mary, the newest production from Long Cat Media, the creators behind black comedy audio drama Mockery Manor, I knew I was in for a good time.
The Ballad of Anne and Mary tells the story of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two infamous pirates who carved their names into the almost exclusively male history of pirates. The musical starts up around the end of their story, with Read and Bonny imprisoned in Newgate Prison in London. Local journalist and lite revolutionary Nathaniel Mist interviews the two prisoners to learn the truth about their history.
I appreciate the framing device of the interviews at Newgate Prison since it allows the elephant in the room to be acknowledged early in the show. If you’re familiar with the history and reported fates of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, it makes sure you’re on the same page about how this might be a bummer ending. With that out of the way, you’re able to sink comfortably into the epic swashbuckling tale.
A lot of the story is told by Anne Bonny, who tells us about her rebellious upbringing and how she made her way out of a crappy marriage and onto a pirate ship. Musical powerhouse Christina Bianco brings to life Bonny’s reckless wanderlust and thrill for adventure. Her epic first song, “Cut and Run” feels like the kind of show-stopping solo song that is sung out onto a cliffside overlooking crashing waves.
We’re also introduced to our second lead, Mary Read, played by comedian and actress Sooz Kempner. We meet Read in the middle of a war, disguised as a man to fight in the British military. “Disguised” is the word used by history books, but Read’s relationship with gender is more complicated than that–in this podcast, at least.
I reached out to Long Cat Media while writing this review since, given the context of the story, I wasn’t sure what their version of Read’s pronouns were (I’ll be using they/them for this review). Their answer showed that a lot of thought has been put into it, as well as an understanding on how it is shown in the final product. With her permission, I’ve pulled a quote from writer and director Lindsay Sharman:
“In real life Mary Read lived as Mark Read for many years, but we have no evidence as to what presentation they felt most comfortable with… and so I had to make some choices while I was writing. For the fictionalised Read, I had it in mind that – if they had the modern frames of reference – they would use they/them, but as they didn’t have them, then Read would have to use he/him when presenting as a man, and she/her when presenting as a woman. However, that’s in MY mind and not necessarily what comes across in the show, and I feel like now it’s out in the world, the audience will make their own decisions.”
Lindsay Sharman
During their time in the army, Read meets someone who accepts them for who they were and they run off together, but tragic things happen at sea. After the death of their husband due to poor conditions on the ship they were traveling on, they find themself on the ship of the pirate Captain Jack Rackham, AKA “Calico Jack”. Read, still presenting as a man, meets Bonny, and a dislike is instantly formed.
From there, it’s a satisfying rivals to friends to lovers arc. You don’t see the full relationship develop on screen (or “on ear” I guess, but you know what I mean), which is understandable. This show isn’t primarily a romance, but rather a pirate adventure epic about two pirates who also happen to be in a relationship. The show has no interest in the courtship or the will-they-won’t-they, but rather shows these two people in a relationship becoming legends.
The audience starts the story with Bonny and, since she is the primary one of the duo narrating the story, I felt a little more of a connection with her. However, while Bonny is the fire of the show, Read is the heart. They balance each other out to make the story happen, and their chemistry is vibrant in every scene they share. It’s a credit to the actors, writing, and the directors.
The titular leads of the show are fantastic, but they are supported by an amazing cast. I had previously mentioned Nathaniel Mist and Captain Jack Rackham. Mist is played wonderfully by Hamilton star Karl Queensborough, who often finds himself playing straight man to other more commanding characters like Bonny or Jonathan Barnet. That being said, the writing and Queensborough’s performance keeps in mind that Mist was a curious mind and a rebel in his own right, although not as glamorous as a pirate.
Rackham, who is played by the legendary London cabaret star Le Gateau Chocolat, steals just about every song he sings. He brings a powerful and commanding presence to the pirate captain, and while this isn’t Rahkham’s story, he feels fully fleshed out.
John Henry Falle brings a greedy and intimidating air to the role of the antagonist of the show, Jonathan Barnet, privateer and man who is historically credited with the capture of Bonny, Read and Rackham. While primarily present at the end of Bonny and Read’s pirate careers, his dynamic with Mist pushes the story forward with threatening drive.
A lot of the characters in the show are based on historical figures of that time, but there were a few that were created specifically for this story. For example, Hayley Evenett plays Bob the cabin boy, who if you’ve ever seen a little kid character in a musical, that’s him. He is admittedly troupe of a character but he’s very well executed.
Carole Stennett brings joy to the role of Bess the Ballad Singer, a local bard who sings about the adventures of Anne and Mary. It’s a fun original character to bring into the story as comic relief, and also represents an aspect of the show I really appreciate. Is it about real historical people? Yeah. Are there dramatic and tragic moments? Of course, but the show is also really goofy. It’s not afraid to do dumb gags and silly voices, which is refreshing and just plain fun.
The Ballad of Anne and Mary has earned its place in the more and more established genre of audio fiction musicals. There are plenty of different types of podcast musicals (although some of them aren’t aware of this and claim to be the “First Podcast Musical.”) Some shows, such as Bleeding Love, Little Did I Know, and Loveville High, feel like stage musicals brought directly to your ears, like listening to an original soundtrack with some light edits and dialogue in a complete package. Other shows, like Childish, In Strange Woods and 36 Questions build themselves up as audio-only experiences from the ground up, using storytelling techniques that are elevated through the audio-only medium.
The Ballad of Anne and Mary straddle this line masterfully. I could imagine a swashbuckling stage version of this show, with the period costumes, dancing pirate ensembles, fight scenes that could be mistaken for dancing, the works. The emotional beats of the show feel heightened in a way that is written and performed for stage. They don’t pause for laughter, but you can feel that it’s what they’re going for.
The show then goes the extra mile of careful editing, allowing listeners to immerse themselves into the world of the story. The amount of work the editing is amazing and Lawrence Owen should be celebrated for it.
We are currently living in a boom of musical podcasts, to the point where, for me at least, the charm of just being a musical podcast has worn off. There are still bad musicals out there. The effort needs to be put in to make your musical actually good. With it’s amazing soundtrack, engaging and adventurous story, and stellar performances, The Ballad of Anne and Mary is one of the best new musicals I’ve heard or seen in a while.
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