“A musical about two serial killers,” is how
This show is the definition of the phrase ‘one to watch.’
Rose and Harry (Lindsay Manion and Sebastian Belli) are all of us trying to find love in the 21st century: online dating to find a partner. But the key difference for them? They aren’t looking for anything… long term. At least they weren't until they met each other. Some people bond over their love for beer, others a mutual interest in playing tennis, but Rose and Harry have a career in common – they’re both psychopathic killers, and what do couples do together? Well they pursue the activities that they both enjoy.
Written by psychology graduate Tom Williams, Buried has combined his two passions of psychology and theatre with the final product being a completely enthralling and darkly funny musical. It is hard to believe that this piece, composed by Cordelia O’Driscoll, is her first musical theatre work, as I had the catchy tunes stuck in my head for hours after the performance. The entire band and cast have really done the work justice: I couldn’t fault a single voice or bar. Particularly, the three actresses, Manion, Teah Lewis and (on the afternoon that I went to see Buried there was a small cast change) O’Driscoll had voices that blended beautifully and smoothly together in their performances.
The chemistry between Manion and Belli is indisputable and both do well as the eerily confident, calm and driven killers. Their dialogue was full of rom-com-esque humour which added a human element to the otherwise alien personality of psychopaths. The comedic moments throughout often meant that the cast had to stop and pause sometimes for the laughter to die down, it was so funny. This is also perhaps the only time in my life I think it will be socially acceptable for me to say that I could relate to a (fictional) killer. The show explored the ups and downs of any new relationship and questioned what it is that binds us together in a relationship anyway.
This is what the Fringe festival is about: uncovering true gems of first-time or new writers who have delivered exceptional, distinctive performances and Buried: A New Musical falls into that category. I was enchanted and wrapped up in Rose and Harry’s love story from start to finish, the folky score was catchy and the cast’s voices blended beautifully. This show is the definition of the phrase ‘one to watch.’
