The Worst Little Warehouse in London continues at The Box, Assembly George Square until 26 August 2018.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The title gives the first clue that this is a parody show. But like none you will have ever seen before. Staging shows in containers isn’t a new idea, but this is THE most appropriate venue for this extraordinary romp.
Looking at a pre-set stage can suggest what’s ahead. In this instance, the assorted jumble includes: poo-emoji sunglasses, Princess Leia-style buns in blonde, an artist’s easel, a Spiderman towel and a fully festooned clothesline surrounding a keyboard. Not a clue!
Opening with a David Attenborough voiceover describing koalas venturing forth, Lala Barlow and Robbie Smith arrive in London from Australia, where ‘the time is Maggie Smith’. After a few touristy weeks in a succession of Airbnbs, the time comes to find somewhere more permanent to call home. Easier said than done: cost and geography force them into shared accommodation at Unit 1, Daisy Mill. A converted warehouse.
One by one, we meet a series of room-mates, engagingly performed by our feisty Aussie duo. The range of characters is absolutely hilarious: the struggling performer who once played Macavity in Cats and is now working on his audition for The Great British Bake Off; the spoken-word poet; the modern suffragette with an unfortunate lisp when urging support for ‘sit-ins’; the lothario that practices yoga; are just a few of the 12 fully-fledged characters conveyed in an instant.
The pace is utterly mind-blowing – never letting up for a second, the comedy is top class. Sarah Redmond’s direction is assured and detailed whilst keeping the touch ligtht as a feather. Both Barlow and Smith’s singing and musicianship are pitch perfect: the original songs are excellent and sit very happily alongside some of great parodies from the likes of Chicago, Urinetown and Into the Woods. Their keyboard skills are mightily impressive: relay-playing and some foxy four-hand playing are superbly entertaining.
The Aussie point of view of London is unreservedly hilarious – sending up so many quirks in contrast to the more direct, yet forgiving approach favoured down under.
A must-see for musical fans and hugely enjoyable for mere mortals! This would be a great production for touring and deserves to be seen. Catch it while you can!
Fiona Orr
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