When I was in high school
Brilliant, brilliant entertainment, not to be missed.
Glee wishes it were as new and cool and sexy as Gobsmacked!. Bringing together talent from across the globe, Gobsmacked! delivered a stupendous hour of high production value, pure unadulterated entertainment. They ditch the generic a cappella formula found so frequently on the fringe and instead refresh the medium with beautiful harmonies, a real sense of humour and some thumping mash-ups.
The show follows a pseudo-plotline of friendship and potential romance, with notable covers of The Killers and Ella Henderson performed perfectly by Joanne Evans and 'the boy with the smile' Alex Spinney. Their acting is subtle and downplayed, letting the music really speak for itself, and it pays off magnificently.
There's great comic timing present in the interaction between the performers, with a particular mention to human beat box Ball-Zee. His exploration of the room for sounds and drum beats was breathtaking and held me captivated. Just when it seemed he had well and truly stolen the show, the full cast performed a mash-up perfect for a Saturday night which had the entire audience itching to get up and dance. I'm fairly sure my foot was hurting a few hours after the show because I'd spent the entire show bobbing along to the amazing vocal talents on display.
Each singer has their own stage time and it feels like a truly collaborative and fun experience both for those on stage and in the seats. With so much of the cast playing up to their strengths and an amazing piece of set which incorporates impressive lighting and levels for the staging of different numbers, you'll be up on your feet before the end of the show and upset that an hour has flown by so quickly. Brilliant, brilliant entertainment, not to be missed.
