Miss Fletcher Sings the Blues is a brilliantly crafted, thoroughly entertaining and unashamedly tongue-in-cheek show with quite a unique premise that just works.
The show begins without warning but it doesn’t take long for the audience to deduce that it is a classroom setting. We get introduced to the titular and sole character of the show: Miss Fletcher. She is a substitute teacher who also runs the music department but has been assigned to take our class for the afternoon.
As she knows nothing about geography, the subject she is meant to be teaching us, she decides to turn the class into an impromptu music lesson. From her unorthodox teaching methods and very questionable lyrical content in her songs, it becomes apparent that Miss Fletcher is not your average, run-of-the-mill music teacher.
The hour unfolds with Miss Fletcher candidly sharing helpful life advice as well as personal commentary through music. There is no Fourth Wall so be prepared to be called upon, asked questions and sometimes even called to participate in a song or two.
What brings this production to life is the well-honed musical numbers which is a hilarious repertoire of anthems about everyday things and experiences which we can all relate to on some level. The songs are a mix of original numbers and parodied popular tunes with punchy and irreverent lyrics that boast superb comedic value.
Hayley Sproull embodies the manic Miss Fletcher convincingly and her genuine vocal and musical prowess is impressive. She manages to strike the perfect balance between delivering an exaggerated and comical performance yet one that is still musically sound which make for an oddly engaging performance.
Miss Fletcher Sings the Blues is a brilliantly crafted, thoroughly entertaining and unashamedly tongue-in-cheek show with quite a unique premise that just works. If you enjoy musical comedy and want to learn a little too, this is a must-see.
