If you’re planning on making the trip to see
The fact that the Baby Wants Candy performers could take one of the least funny items of clothing and craft before us a piece of musical theatre taking in Scientology, an Iraq amputee, gym membership, and chronic shoelessness, is a testament to these guys’ abilities – this is a riot.
Though we’re informed that some past titles for their shows included Mary Poppins has Ebola: The Musical, tonight’s show is given the less evocative name Trainers, decided on following a screaming match by the front-rows. The fact that the Baby Wants Candy performers could take one of the least funny items of clothing and craft before us a piece of musical theatre taking in Scientology, an Iraq amputee, gym membership, and chronic shoelessness, is a testament to these guys’ abilities – this is a riot.
Granted, there are a couple (just a couple) of moments when the momentum flags a little, but these are few and far between. What matters is the skill to get things going again and this is second nature to the cast. There’s a real fluidity between the group, with someone always ready to step in and get things going when necessary, or to simply add their own gag. Zach Reino’s and Chris Grace’s comic timing is razor sharp but you get the sense that praise could be given to any one of the seven on a given night.
More than anything else though, you get the sense that they are enjoying themselves (as nerve-wracking as it must be to go up in front of a full theatre with no script to fall back on), and the audience feeds off this.
At 15 pounds, the ticket price does seem a bit steep at first glance but when you consider the quality of the performers (both band and ensemble) on show, it is definitely worth it – guaranteed laughs.
