Curse of the Mummy

To fully appreciate Curse of the Mummy, one cannot take it seriously as a musical or a drama, which may have been a source of contention amongst some audience members on the night I viewed, who were under the strong impression that it was a fully-fledged recreation of the original 1964 film. Clearly, it doesn’t wish to be taken seriously on any level, and once you buy into the nonsense of it all, it actually becomes quite enjoyable. The introduction lacked any clarity until this trope became obvious, which is where it risked credibility amidst a state of overwrought confusion. But once this wears off you can take pleasure in the musical numbers and deliberate, albeit agonising, puns.

Grows more likeable as the night draws on

The musical drama is a rough parody of Indiana Jones, The Mummy and the entire horror-adventure genre, that sees Immumotep, Monty and Michael on their quest to break an ancient curse and save the world in just 24 hours. It shatters the fourth wall with self-referential humour aimed at dismantling any lingering solemnity, and concluded with an impromptu wedding with an audience member taking to the stage to be wed to Monty once the curse had been lifted. The improvised material was most entertaining given that it was at the behest of time constraints and a small crowd. Though it could have been much quicker at the start, the overall impression remained positive. It evolves slowly but steadily grows more likeable as the night draws on.