[title of show] musical at Southwark Playhouse Borough – review

The meta musical to end all meta musicals, [title of show] is a musical about writing a musical about writing a musical. Having initially won a spot at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell’s first iteration told the story of the three weeks they had to write leading up to the festival deadline, ending with the cast of four celebrating in their living room.

But, having then found funding for development, the script had to extend to include the festival run. When it bagged a limited run at an off-Broadway theatre, the further development would also have to be included. And finally, when a Broadway theatre offered a run, the play had to include the preparation for that too. Thankfully, they didn’t then go on to include the Broadway run itself, or the ensuing regional and international productions (I don’t fancy sitting through ten minutes in German).

This is theatre kids’ theatre. The references are specialist and plentiful. But of course, the cast already knows that, and tells us so during their handwringing preparation for Broadway: “What if no-one knows who Mary Stout is? What if they’ve never seen Bagels and Yox?” I will give it to them, it’s very hard to criticise a show that already has its criticism inbuilt. I even know that Broadway.com initially said the songs were forgettable and derivative, but the New York Times gave it a rave. What is there left for me to say?

Bowen’s songs are very clever, but yes, mostly forgettable. Or rather, many of the tunes sound awfully similar, so while there are about 20 of them, it sounds like there are five. There are definitely some earworms: “Change It, Don’t Change It” is a whispering neurotic attack, and the syllable-happy “Nine People’s Favourite Thing” has lodged itself uncomfortably in my brain.

Bell’s script is witty and self-deprecating. The four characters are very jazz-handy enthusiastic, but that’s no surprise given it’s about four musical theatre lovers. It was hardly going to be a musical about writing a musical with four sardonic pessimists.

The cast is exceedingly strong. Jacob Fowler as Hunter balances drawling cattiness with fretting obsession, Tomas Oxley as Jeff is a fabulous good-cop, and Abbie Budden as Heidi is the ideal theatre kid – face acting out in force. Mary Moore feels a little more green, but her vocals and zeal more than make up for it.

As is repeated throughout, all this play needs is four chairs, but Hazel McIntosh does a tidy job of fleshing it out a little with a 2-D cosy apartment design and coloured panels for Alistair Lindsay’s playful lighting to give a little pizzaz.

It should go without saying that if you don’t like musical theatre, you won’t like [title of show]. But for the musical aficionado, the obsessive, the I’ve-seen-Cabaret-with-every-cast-change fanatic, this is for you, these are your people.