2020 The Musical was performed at the Stag, Sevenoaks.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Theatre as a response to the moment is always a good idea and 2020 proved to be one heck of a moment. In fact, it has been more than a year since the curtains went down on our theatres with no indication as to when they would be raised again. More than a year since theatre-goers, workers and performers were shut out from the intimate space in which strangers become kindred spirits.
With 2020 The Musical – The Stag’s first offering in front of a live audience after lockdown – the space felt more prominent and sacred than ever.
The show begins within a theatre on Saturday 16 March 2020, the very day theatre workers were sent home ahead of the implementation of lockdown number one. The premise then branches off as it follows a number of protagonists who have each lost their jobs and retrained in key worker roles.
Construction man Ben (Charlie Tatman), Adam (Jason Kajdi) who spends his days jeté-ing across the aisles in Lidl, and Emily (Natasha Mould), a self-confessed ‘bum wiper’ for the elderly, each tell their stories in the way those stagey lot do best, they make a song and dance about it.
And a rather good one they make of it too. The show sports a wickedly talented cast which interchanges from Fosse, to tap, to contemporary, to commercial at the (literal) drop of a hat. It’s perhaps a shame that the show’s only focus is on the circumstances of performers, as opposed to shedding light on technicians, wardrobe and backstage staff, but lovers of theatre will enjoy feeling smug in detecting clever links to existing shows, including Matilda, Chicago and Singin’ in the Rain. The show is both refreshing and nostalgic.
Though it would be hugely unfair to put the show’s musical success purely down to its affiliations with other musicals. After a sell-out run in December 2020, at the time titled West End Comes to Leatherhead, the show returns sporting seven new musical numbers including, ‘Fabulous’, ‘2020 March 16’, ‘Made a Little Better’, ‘Now I’m a Cleaner’ and ‘Lockdown 2’.
A special mention should go to Samantha Richards, whose narration, told through the folky undertones of an acoustic guitar, ties the threads of the show together quite beautifully.
But what has been really special about this production is that it was written and created not only to raise awareness for the arts and theatres but to also create work opportunities. This production has provided employment for 11 cast members, three tour technicians, three wardrobe and backstage staff, and has supported three small theatres that have been closed for the best part of 12 months. With 10% of profits going to Covid charities, the show cannot be reduced to anything short of inspiring.
Being reminded about the doom and gloom of 2020 will, undoubtedly, not be everybody’s cup of tea, but 2020 The Musical epitomises the one thing 2020 was so desperately lacking – just a bit of fun!
Polly Sisley
- The cast also includes Dawn Williams, Alex Tranter, Demmileigh Foster, Edward Bullingham, Micaela Todd and Oliver Imeson.
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