Say Yes to Tess – Camden People’s Theatre

Say Yes to Tess continues at Camden People’s Theatre, London until 16 April 2022.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Welcome, dear reader, to the third draft of this review of Say Yes to Tess – a small chamber musical which debuted at the Leeds Playhouse before moving to the Camden People’s Theatre for this short run. The West End’s multimillion pound production of & Juliet didn’t get this amount of rewrites when I covered that the other day, so what makes this show so difficult to sum up?

Say Yes to Tess is a musical retelling of a real-life story of politics and activism starring four brilliant musical theatre performers, and also the eponymous Tess Seddon herself. Despite having co-written this musical, Seddon admits early on that she is not a natural singer. Instead, she saunters awkwardly about the stage, entering each scene with the energy of somebody who suspects they don’t belong but is tickled to be there nonetheless. This is all perfect given the events depicted in the show.

In 2016, Seddon was forced by finances to move from a London life pursuing a theatre career back to her family and mundane temp work in Leeds. Here, she encountered The Yorkshire Party – an upstart political movement bent on disrupting the imminent 2017 general election and advocating for a devolved Yorkshire parliament and better Westminster representation for the county. Despite having no expertise or experience in politics, she agreed to stand as the Yorkshire Party candidate in the general election, largely as research to inform a play she intends to write.

And this uncomfortable decision is where draft one of this review fell apart. Under our current government, people have suffered and died. Others are facing daily persecution as the extreme right is embraced by the increasingly cynical opportunists in power. For those suffering most, politics is not frivolous. However well-intentioned a person is, it betrays privilege and security to encourage voters to support a third party in a two-party election where the stakes are so high. Politics is not a game and lives are impacted when entitled people – from Eton or anywhere else – act like it is.

Fortunately, Seddon is not entitled, nor insensible of the ethical issues at play here. Rather than being swept aside in the name of entertainment, these concerns are addressed head-on as the main conflict of the story. The show pays a lot of attention to the politically apathetic and depicts Tess resisting canvassing Labour supporters, though it’s hard to believe that in the real world a liberal young woman promising to make Leeds a more hospitable place for refugees and asylum seekers would have attracted many votes from the right.

Instead, the show’s best defensive argument concerns the injustice of our Westminster-centric political system too often ignoring communities outside London, and consequently alienating many citizens who do not see themselves represented and leaving them feeling unable to engage. There is a lot of good that can be done by passionate people getting involved in our democracy, and the shocking funding disparities between the capital and Leeds expounded by this show are worthy battles to be fought.

The second draft of this review attempted to sidestep entirely the ethical quagmire of the politics and focus instead on Say Yes to Tess’ bountiful theatrical achievements. This, of course, was doing such an intelligent and thought-provoking show a disservice, but it was not remotely difficult to conjure another 2,000 words on the many many things this show does right.

Firstly, it’s criminal that we are so deep into this write-up of a musical without a single mention of its brilliant score – composed by Harry Blake, who also co-directs with Seddon. His songs are bouncy and full of clever rhymes and catchy hooks. It is not often that a musical dares to call for an audience singalong just 15 minutes into a show, but with music this good, the crowd cannot wait to get involved.

Taking on the instrumental side of Blake’s score is the supremely talented Jamie Noar, who provides excellent live piano/synth musical accompaniment from the stage and keeps the other performers in sync. He is also hilarious performing as a variety of characters, particularly shining as Tess’ ex-boyfriend Sacha whom he imbues with a perfect self-regarding smarm and condescension.

Seddon and Noar are joined by three excellent character actors who play a variety of roles and do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to the singing. Purvi Parmar in particular is a commanding stage presence, even when rapidly switching between the characters of a cold and unwelcoming housemate, a kindly prospective voter being doorstepped, and a fiery author of election-based erotica.

Andrew Whitehead demonstrates his range also as Tess’ staunchly Labour father who is going through something of a personal crisis, as well as Kev, the Yorkshire Party’s most zealous and intense warrior. He truly throws himself into the proceedings and delivers a brilliantly physical performance. Kofi Dennis is perhaps the most charming of the lot as the charismatic but self-doubting Yorkshire party election supremo in a snazzy blue polyester suit. Throughout the show, he appears to be Tess’ main political inspiration, and the two share some touching scenes.

Seddon can sing, she just cannot sing well. This is cleverly perfect in a story about making one’s voice heard, even if it is inexperienced and even if it doesn’t necessarily fit in with the loudest voices in the room. Throughout the show she is endearing in her uncertainty and self-deprecation, which provide more than enough charming counterweight to the inescapable fact we are watching a person who made an entire musical about themselves.

Say Yes to Tess is a wonderful example of the personal, unique, small-scale musical theatre that everybody should be making. Yes, everybody. Seddon admits that she isn’t particularly musically inclined, but alongside Blake she has used the medium to tell her story in a way that would not have been possible otherwise. Blake’s songs amplify every high and low, every moment of ridiculousness, doubt, and joy: they help us to understand better how it must have felt being thrust into such a bizarre and difficult situation. The Camden People’s Theatre proves a perfect venue, providing just the right level of intimacy and impressively sophisticated light and sound for this chamber musical – plus a large glass of house red wine for only £5.50 is something of a miracle at a London theatre in 2022.

This is a charming and unusual show that challenges and provokes debate, while being thoroughly heart-warming and hilarious. The fact it has taken so many drafts to do justice to the totality of the piece’s not uncomplicated achievement is testament to Seddon and Blake’s considered writing. Clearly, they have given these issues a lot of thought and where doubts remain it is because politics is never straightforward. It is true it is a subject that should not be taken too lightly, but this show makes the powerful case that neither should it feel too heavy for average folks like you and me and Seddon to get involved and effect change for the better.

Seddon ultimately lost the election, and the genuinely impressive 303 votes she inspired for the unheard-of Yorkshire Party did not unseat the Labour incumbent. As Say Yes to Tess embarks on what is hopefully a long theatrical life, its important and uplifting message of representation and accessibility in politics hopefully will reach many thousands more than those 303 Leeds North East voters. As delightful as the show is itself, the discussions it inspires in the days and weeks afterwards will be as much a part of its success as the joyous night it provides at the theatre.

Ian Bowkett