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