We’ve all seen or heard about that infamous point in a man’s life where he starts to feel out of sync with the world - it usually results in a fancy new car or ridiculous hobby. It’s the Middle-Aged-Crisis, and the inspiration for Big Squirrel Productions’ alternative musical.
In a sweet take on what it is to be a middle-aged man, we follow lovable Dad as he was forced to face up to his uncertainties in life with the departure of his children to university. Having lost his wife some years before, the prospect of life on his own brought to the surface all those problems he has with the modern world such as colour TV and Facebook, as he can’t help but reminisce on the past when everything seemed so much simpler. Narrated through run-ins with Psychiatrists, Doctors and Priests by his New-Yorker Alter Ego, it wasn’t pills, probes or prayers that were needed most, but a sense of certainty which could root him in this ever changing world.
Showing how out of hand everything has got nowadays, with God about to be sued over climate change, we face up to things alongside Dad with the help of some funny musical numbers and fast costume changes. The small cast performed their various roles with enthusiasm and energy and thrilled us with shining moments of comedy which threatened to make even them laugh. Cleverly arranged, the sharp script played on some brilliant interpretations of lawyers and naturists who hijacked the show. With great performances from all the cast, particularly Sean Abbs who secured most of the laughs, the poignancy of a man feeling at a loss with his life took centre stage against all the backdrop of comedy as you realised that there was more truth behind all of this you could have imagined.
Vocally strong, the cast delivered a practised show which on the whole was great fun to watch. An alternative subject, it combined great comedy, nostalgia and sadness into a well balanced mix as we finally realised that it’s the uncertainties in life that make it worth living.
