A song cycle inspired by the photographs of Matthew Murphy, 35MM: A Musical Exhibition is a unique concept and the perfect choice for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The music covers a range of genres, themes, tempos, and emotions, giving Musicality’s five-person cast the chance to experiment and push themselves to the limit. It’s also a slightly eerie musical at times, lending itself well to the cellar venue in which it was housed.
A very passionate ensemble with a bright future ahead
Anyone who has attempted to sing along with the original Broadway album will know that the pieces are deceptively tricky. Despite the passion and enthusiasm of the ensemble, there were quite a few sticky moments - particularly in reaching high harmonies or sustaining long notes during the more dramatic power ballads. That being said, each performer gave it 100% and I’m excited to watch their talent grow and develop at future Fringe events.
Some particular highlights included Riley Halls Backler’s comedic portrayal of a nanny in Coralee, the intense and bizarrely supernatural duet between Backler and Evie Mace in Twisted Teeth, and the captivating dramatisation of Leave Luanne. At times the female voices were drowned out by the male leads, something that might have been solved with microphone assistance, but the performers of Twisted Teeth did a wonderful job of matching each other’s level and really convincing us that vampires deserve love.
The Ballad of Sara Berry, a real favourite for fans of the original musical, fell a little flat when Bella Crowne’s melody was drowned out by the ensemble, and at times it seemed like the performers were more focused on their own part of the harmony than in listening to each other. I’m sure a longer run at the Fringe would have ironed out many of these problems, so it’s a shame that their last show was on Saturday 12th.
Overall a very passionate ensemble with a bright future ahead. I’ll be on the lookout to see what Musicality bring to Edinburgh next year!
