I Love You Because

Billed as a musical hybrid of Pride and Prejudice and Friends, it’s somewhat unsurprising that this production feels a little unsure as to which direction it should be going in. Characters with surnames such as Bennett and Wickham combined with the general theme of romantic complications are the only real nods to Austen’s classic; ‘quirky’ characters (such as a commitment-phobic man with a knack for mixing up the meaning of words) are shoe-horned in to attempt to give the script a spark of wackiness.

With all the characters attired in luridly colourful costumes, I Love You Because is at times sickly sweet, yet this is combined with explicit sexual references and swearing, making the performance the musical equivalent of a strawberry ribena laced with rohypnol. Despite this, it’s entertaining enough for an hour, and the young cast are a talented bunch who seem to be enjoying themselves. By all means take a punt if you have a soft spot for Glee style musicals, but prepare yourself for a saccharine aftertaste.

- Miranda Fay Thomas