(4.5 / 5)
In Mischief Comedy’s full foray into musical theatre, we travel back in time to 534BC to Ancient Greece; the island of Ikaria to be exact, where we find Thespis and his sister, Poly. It’s Greece the Musical (but not that one) but it’s got all the traits of that well known, popular musical! Toe tapping songs, exuberant dance numbers and a cast of hugely likeable characters.
It’s also got all the usual traits of a classic Mischief show, with puns galore, clever one liners, the wittiest lyrics I’ve heard in a while, pastiches of other media (in this case, Andrew Lloyd Webber gets a few gentle jibes) and physical comedy which had the audience in stiches. The writing team of Jonathan Sayer (co-writer of The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and The Comedy About A Bank Robbery) and Ed Zanders (musical director, Mischief Movie Night) ensures that the classic Mischief formula is maintained whilst exploring a brand new medium for the group.
The story is about the accidental discovery of acting as all five residents of Ikaria are forced into a prayer competition in Athens to try and stave off a deadly drought ravaging Greece. The motley crew of Thespis, Poly, Adonis, Melampus and Atlas head off to Athens with a brand new concept, ready to take on the Tyrant’s competition with their mantra of ‘walking in someone else’s sandals.’ Accompanied by their trusty, if small Greek Chorus (two of them due to ‘budgetary cuts), and an all singing, all dancing ensemble, they are set to change the world and end the drought at the same time.
The cast is perfection. They certainly have both the comedic and vocal chops for the job and they deliver in spades. They had me crying with laughter from beginning to end but also deliver loads of heart too, and there are moments of genuine poignancy too. Allie Dart and Matt Cavendish don’t stop for a moment as our brilliant Greek Chorus but also filling in all the other roles too, as well as moving the Grecian set. They are full of puns, accents, personalities and seem to revel in their all-encompassing roles. The residents of Ikaria equally excel, balancing each other out to perfection. James Spence is a funny, hapless, but endearing Thespis, alongside, Claire-Marie Hall’s more sensible, reliable Poly. I really enjoyed their relationship but also their respective solos.
Luke Latchman breaks hearts as the downtrodden Atlas, and his voice is beautiful! I loved his journey of confidence building to confess his feelings for oblivious Thespis. Mia Jerome shines as Melampus, the island elder (at the grand old age of 32), and her Old Man Tango brought the house down. Marc Pickering is the ‘hero’ of the piece, as Adonis and his physical comedy is for sure, a highlight of the whole production. Finally, Rhys Taylor plays a truly riotous Tyrant; I honestly didn’t know what was coming next! They hold the audience in the palm of their hand whenever they are on stage and their voice is phenomenal.
This is a fabulous new piece of musical theatre, with pastiche, hilarity, and just sheer joyful silliness. Mischief can truly do no wrong at the moment and long may their reign of both the West End and touring theatre continue.