Written by Katie Bray and Jay Darcy
Thespians is the first-ever musical by Mischief Comedy, one of the biggest and best theatre comedy groups out there, notorious for their expertise in organised chaos, slapstick comedy, absurd characters, straightforward silly humour, and hilariously foreshadowed gags.
Katie Bray
Their most famous show, The Play That Goes Wrong, has become The West End’s longest-running comedy show, having spent a whopping 12 years and counting at the Duchess Theatre. Of course, their catalogue is much more expansive, from their more recent success The Comedy About Spies to fan-favourite spin-off Peter Pan Goes Wrong, A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, and The Mind Mangler, not to mention two seasons on BBC iPlayer. They’re the Horrible Histories of the theatre world, bringing old school slapstick comedy, witty rhetoric, and sheer calamity to the stage.
As a fan of Mischief, I was excited to see how their unique comedic style would lend itself to a musical. Would the music blend well, or feel like a gimmicky addition?
After having seen Something Rotten a day earlier, the irony of seeing another acting/musicals origin story isn’t lost on me. They’re two musical comedies with similar concepts, with prophets foretelling the hero’s hubris, and yet they are different in tone. Thespians is cheeky and fun, but often fairly subtle, never really embracing the hamminess of absurd theatre references. It’s certainly clever but lacks the usual sharp-wit, slapstick antics, Mischief mayhem that has audiences howling in their seats.
Granted, there are three numbers drawing from musicals with a ‘Defying Gravity’ chorus, a Chicago-inspired ‘Old Man’s Tango’, and a subtler Into the Woods tune written into the finale. Other well-placed gags included a Notting Hill and Spartacus homage, the big-headed, merchandised hero beat from Hercules, and a deceptive contract signing reminiscent of The Little Mermaid. One segment even has the Greek chorus duo performing different modern pop “prayers”. The songs (music by Ed Zanders, who wrote the lyrics with book writer Jonathan Sayer) are pleasant but unmemorable.
Outside of some incredible eye-roller dad-jokes, most humour is fairly tame for Mischief, with predictable cliches. It’s an interesting story by all means, exploring the origins of theatre, but several moments don’t quite land, making it a long 2hr 40 min show. Despite this, I love the boldness of the show, experimenting with their usual formula to deliver something fresh and endearing.
Jay Darcy
The play is expertly directed by Robyn Grant, who is best-known for directing the ever-evolving Unfortunate, which we have reviewed at Lowry three times. Grant makes excellent use of the space; the stage often feels busy but never overcrowded. Melody Sinclair’s choreography is pretty electric; she clearly had a lot of fun choreographing the Zoolander-esque Thespis.
Jasmine Swan’s Ancient Greek stage design is beautiful (and beautifully lit by David Howe’s disco-like lighting design), especially for a show touring smaller theatres. Her costumes creatively heighten the camp and glamour of Ancient Greek attire. It’s a real spectacle but it’s giving “beautiful gowns”.
The star of the show, however, is the stars of the show. Lucy Jenkins CDG and Sooki McShane CDG deserve praise for their spot-on casting direction. The always amazing Allie Dart (Rhapsodes), who has starred in every production of the aforementioned Unfortunate (and once even stepped in last minute to play Ursula, despite being skinny and drowning in her costume!), narrates the show with the just-as-funny Matt Cavendish (Bard), with the pair swanning in and out of the action, playing countless characters, each and every one distinct.
James Spence, who played Prince Eric in the most recent production of Unfortunate, leads the ensemble-led show as the similarly vain Thespis, who is foiled with the pathetic Adonis (Marc Pickering, who is completely unafraid to make a fool of himself), who is just as vain without the justification for it! Luke Latchman plays Atlas, who is in love with Thespis, which makes for a lovely queer love story – but there is a missed opportunity in not highlighting the progressive attitudes towards homosexuality in Ancient Greece.
Thespis is also foiled with his delightfully book-smart sister, Poly (Claire-Marie Hall). Mia Jerome is loveable as Melampus, a toothsayer or oracle of sorts, but the decision to have her speak with a Caribbean accent when having visions is a little awkward. The core cast is rounded off with Rhys Taylor, who chews up the scenery and leaves no crumbs as the drag-inspired Tyrant.
Unlike Katie, who was already a Mischief fan, this was my first time ever seeing a Mischief show. Whilst we both had a good time, we were admittedly little disappointed, as a fan and a newbie alike. We went in expecting typical Mischief comedy, but they have done something different this time. Criticism would also be levied at the group for recycling the same formula time and time again; in Thespians, they have tried something different, and it does what it needs to do – it just doesn’t live up to what they do best.
Thespians – Greece the Musical (But Not That One) runs at HOME (Theatre 1) until July 18.
Photo: Mark Senior
