[title of show] – Southwark Playhouse Borough

Picture: Danny Kaan

[title of show] continues at Southwark Playhouse Borough, London until 30 November.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

[title of show] has burst energetically into the Southwark Playhouse for a two-week run. This meta-musical follows Jeff and Hunter as they attempt to write a musical in the space of three weeks for submission to a festival. With music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and book by Hunter Bell – real life friends and writing partners – the show is a joyful exploration of the highs and lows of life as creatives in musical theatre.

Though the musical opened Off-Broadway in 2006, it still has a fresh feel while maintaining noughties charm, proving that the piece shows no signs of losing its appeal. Jacob Fowler and Thomas Oxley star as Hunter and Jeff as they embark on the challenge of writing a musical in a short space of time. They recruit actors Heidi, played by Abbie Budden, and Susan, played by Mary Moore. The cast of four have a wonderful chemistry and their voices blend extremely well as an ensemble.

While the numbers are not inherently catchy, they are witty and tonally very tongue-in-cheek, portraying the characters’ frustrations with life in the theatre world. The cast does not fail to pull off what are sometimes technically challenging numbers. Particularly successful is the performance of ‘Monkeys and Playbills’ as titles of musicals from through the ages are rattled off and written into the lyrics of the song, while Heidi flips through Playbills, neatly executed by Budden.

Under the direction of Christopher D Clegg, the show jumps in and out of the musical within a musical and while the pace varies, it never slows down, aided by the fact that it is a one-act show. The portrayal of phone calls between Hunter and Jeff is very effective, with the two characters sitting with their backs to each other. There are moments where Fowler and Oxley’s American accents falter slightly, but otherwise their voices shine brightly in every number. A fifth member of the cast is musical director Tom Chippendale who effortlessly provides the backing music for the entire show and his interjections are subtly entertaining.

[title of show] is a jubilant ode to musical theatre and the tight-knit cast are triumphant in their achievement of this. There will be inside jokes that only those with industry experience may appreciate, but this is a show that audiences will enjoy from start to finish.

Rebecca Sinclair