Hostage Song (Finborough Theatre)

Hostage Song is an indie rock musical centring on prisoners held by terrorists, with a musical twist. Jennifer (Verity Marshall) and Jim (Michael Matus) struggle in their confinement as their sanity fades and the grim inevitability of their situation sets in. With a talented band alongside the two playing a series of ballads and musical numbers related to their struggle you're set for an odd evening at the theatre.

It's an unusual concept and unfortunately runs into some trouble with a fairly uninspiring script that falls too easily into the clichés of hostage pieces, ticking the boxes of Stockholm Syndrome and psychological subversion. Of course, these are entirely relevant to hostage situations but they have been well covered by theatre, especially in the past five years. Dialogue discussing Western complicity with terror through technology and the media is potentially interesting but done straight, it is nothing new.

This is surely the reason for introducing the startling tone shifts as we move from conversations about beheading into melodramatic ballads sung by the prisoners themselves. The awkwardness created by these scenes is palpable. It's such a jarring combination that you squirm in your seat, watching the unsettling rictus of fantastic singer Pierce Reid and his glossy rock performers beaming over utterly destroyed human beings.

At these moments the play successfully undermines both political dramas and musicals. Seeing a face smashed in with a microphone stand is a truly unique image and the interaction of the band with the prisoners is a wonderful way to keep the audience on its toes.

That said, it is hard to escape the predictability of the story and it leaves you wondering to what extent its flourishes are intentional. Hostage Song works as a reaction to both genres but it never establishes these contexts to assure us of its intention. It may not appeal to fans of either camp but it is saved by its absurdity and is a quirky addition to the Off-West End scene.