SILENCE! The Musical is the unauthorised parody musical of The Silence of the Lambs. And, boy oh boy, this version features a lot more lambs! It is a fantastic musical that closely follows the storyline of the 1991 film, which has become a psychological horror cult classic. SILENCE! does the film justice. The story centres on FBI trainee Clarice Starling, who interviews the imprisoned infamous cannibal and serial murderer Hannibal Lecter. Her aim is to understand the mind of serial killers in the hopes of capturing a new serial killer, "Buffalo Bill," before he kills again.
You’re in for a fun evening rediscovering a cult classic through a performance that will keep you chuckling throughout
The ten-strong cast of SILENCE! is a decent size. Clarice and Hannibal are the only characters continuously portrayed by the same actors. The rest of the cast takes on multiple roles, moving around the stage and interpreting various parts, including some innocent-looking yet hilarious singing lambs. The lambs are fantastic! They subtly carry the musical, providing ample comedy, constant companionship for the audience, and narrating the story.
The set design is also quite clever, aided and moved around by the lambs, of course. Although the stage is very small, it appears much larger because the cast really makes the most of the space. There are four sliding panels that can be wheeled around the stage, serving both as transitions between scenes and as tools to add movement to the characters. The costumes are very ingenious and memorable, especially the lambs in their black formal attire, with ears and gloves resembling lamb legs, as well as Clarice’s look, which is very reminiscent of Jodie Foster, and Hannibal’s distinctive outfit. SILENCE! The Musical is very thoughtfully planned out.
Not only is this a parody of what is meant to be quite a frightening movie, but it is one that really works and creates a feel of its own. The excellence and talent of the cast shine through, with wonderful opera singing, top-notch soulful performances, and dancing that includes some challenging lifts—all elements that come together seamlessly and effortlessly. What is most surprising, perhaps, is that numerous lines are lifted from the original screenplay, and they land fresh and comedically.
I think if you're a fan of the original The Silence of the Lambs movie, you'll surely enjoy this musical, with its numerous Easter eggs and clever use of the original script and characters. But even if you’ve never seen the movie or are only vaguely familiar with it, you’re in for a fun evening rediscovering a cult classic through a performance that will keep you chuckling throughout.
