The Prodigals
When you are handed a programme as you enter a show at the Edinburgh Festival, you get the sense that you might be about to see something that might be a little more slick than what is on offer elsewhere. At The Prodigals, the programme was on glossy paper, so of course I thought must be in for a real treat.
Presented like a pop concert, The Prodigals has impressive lighting design by Ben Cracknell and aggressive street dance choreography by Natalie Murdoch, but the story is far too complex for a show with a running time of only an hour. As a consequence, the characters are underdeveloped and relationships between them are confusing. The deliciously camp number “Heroes of the Underworld” provides a welcome diversion though.
Lucie Jones of X Factor and Les Miserables fame stars, but her role is much smaller than the promotional poster might suggest.
If you are looking for a professionally produced spectacle, complete with laser shows and pumping bass beats, the The Prodigals is for you. Unfortunately, in terms of emotion, it is wide of the mark.
– Kendal Spark