Don’t be fooled by the pink, as the aesthetic over comfort of Elliot Clay’s Millennials is the celebration that this generation not only deserves but needs. Seizing control of the narrative, Millennials puts the most iconic and arguably the least problematic generation (so far) back into the spotlight.
sarcastically blunt
Performed by a cast whose cumulative talent is beyond measurement, each song of the pop-cycle takes on a different musical style reminiscent of the 90s and 00s. With sarcastically blunt lyrics, it is incredibly clear that these songs come from a genuine place of frustration at the state of the world, but in a fun way. One theme that weaves throughout is the concept that no one is truly alone, that we are all facing similar struggles. The songs bring words to very personal, very private thoughts on one hand such as in Masterpiece sung by Hannah Lowther to then raging against the current social paradigms, exhibited in Hiba Elchikhe’s rendition of 21st Century Girl, which in itself is an upbeat, self-assured feminist sensation. The songs are like a self-contained memory or emotion, jumping from wholesome to a vocalised flipping-off of the world to nostalgic and back again. Each actor perfectly fits into the vibe of their solos, supported by the rest of their cast members and dressed in quirky and louder than life costumes designed by Rory McNerney. This support is more widely visible during the performance of group numbers, but also by the way they all generally interact on the avocado shaped stage. The fact that the ideas expressed in the songs are something that a lot of us feel but don’t always know how to put into words is incredibly helpful and could bring a lot of good to those who need it.
The songs of Millennials could fit into a nineties or noughties clubnight, whilst also teaching us something, almost like Sesame Street for adults (minus the puppets). It presents us with things we didn't know we needed, like Rob Madge giving us sound life advice, whilst dressed in a top hat and tails and bouncing up and down on a trampoline. Millennials is fun, overly sarcastic and could serve as a guidebook to building a better world in the years to come. With sound advice like don’t be a dick, you aren’t alone and it’s never too late to do what you love, how can we not do anything but wake up and pay attention?
