A funeral sees the coming together of three siblings for their estranged father’s send-off, but this new musical is not really about death - it is about life and the suppressed tensions between each of the characters. Tiffs between lovers, a horny cougar, and alcohol pave the way for this musical comedy.
The show comes from Gone Rogue, a new production company set up by students of the University of Southampton. Its music and lyrics have been composed and written by Stephanie Jayne Amies, while the book was written by Lucy Hughes, who also doubles up as producer.
Straight away we are launched into funeral proceedings for Richard Miller. His son Freddie and daughter Charlotte are at the forefront while we, the audience, are the congregation. The funereal music adds to the atmosphere. But a dark show you don’t get. It soon turns into comical farce as the workings of this dysfunctional family start to emerge.
There are comical interjections throughout and among the average voices was a strong performer who plays Sam, the lesbian vegetarian. Her voice is soulful. The funniest character was Miranda, a horny so-and-so who looks prim and proper until she takes off her jacket to reveal knock-you-dead ‘knockers’. A wonderful bit of ensemble work from this cast of six ensued as she paraded her breasts around.
There was a touching moment when Freddie finds a bedtime book next to his dad’s ashes. He recalls his father once reading the book to him. The song he sings doesn’t really go anywhere though, it was crying out for a build-up into something powerful, something which Good Grief couldn’t deliver.
As a whole, Good Grief’s narrative arc is ok. It doesn’t travel terribly far from its starting point but the comic moments along the way are enough to sustain the audience for an hour. The writers were award-nominated for best music and best new musical composer by Musical Theatre Matters in 2011 so I had high expectations of the musical score. Unfortunately it was mediocre, played averagely by a sometimes out-of-tune band, which resulted in a rather unmemorable musical experience.While it does not have the trappings of anything bigger than its current form, this is a satisfying and broadly funny musical.
