This is fast-moving musical treatment of the bubonic plague of London performed by a bouyant cast of young actor/singers, but the strong and vibrant performances all round are let down by a script which is stylistically inconsistant and derivative. Musicals are difficult. Comedy musicals are even harder. Musical comedies about the plague must be the hardest of all to write.
The direction is mild but the choreography inventive. The enthusiastic playing, however, cannot disguise an idea which is not strong enough to sustain 1 hour and 45 mins - there is kernal of a good idea here, but this is still a work in progress.
Python, Pratchett, Blackadder and even Groucho, all have their comedy pockets picked to feed the actors lines, leaving us with a feeling this could be much-better if it believed in itself. Murmurs of approval and a smattering of applause greeted the bright performances, but is it satire, parody or pastiche? Maybe I missed something. Go and decide for yourself.
