Thespians a Mischief Theatre Musical Review | HOMEmcr | Manchester
- Frances
- Jul 23
- 2 min read
Mischief Theatre is back with their first foray into musical theatre, bringing their mixture of caricatures, comedy and blunders to create the ancient art form of acting.
Thespians is a surprisingly understated play from the comedy troupe who have created the physically demanding The Comedy About a Bank Robbery and the seamless The Play That Goes Wrong. It sits closer to Grown-Ups with its down-to-earth and tampered retelling of how a group of friends fashioned an entertaining way to please The Gods and their tyrannical ruler named The Tyrant.
Rhapsodes (Allie Dart) and Bard (Matt Cavendish) zhuzh up the tale of the self-loving Thespis (James Spence) and his smartass sister Poly (Claire-Marie Hall) who form an acting troupe representing the island of Ikaria in a mandatory battle of worship to end Greece’s ongoing drought. Along with their friends, the cocky Adonis (Marc Pickering) and the oracle Melampus (Ashely Tucker), the show moves between its ten-person cast, showcasing their talents through a familiar and formulaic musical soundtrack. Wicked, Chicago and Avenue Q all get a reference, and the catchy Part of the Parthenon warm-up track offers a cute retelling of the future of theatre yet to come. However, these are not all high-flying musical numbers; it's a pun-heavy production, with constant callbacks and overt references that can land a little heavy. Leaving Thespians, despite all its originality, with little new to add.
It's not as punchy as The Book of Mormon and it is not as flashy as Something Rotten, but its use of theatre references and insider jokes leaves little to distinguish it from musicals that have a similar premise. Ultimately, this show could have benefited from more mayhem or playing with its own concept, but as the gods don’t intervene in mortals’ musical affairs, this show is shaped by the watered-down rehashing of the same jokes. Something Rotten’s play within a play is moulded by the character Nostradamus, who helps orchestrate a medley of all the greatest stage hits combined. Here, Old Man Tango and the underused Rhys Taylor (The Tyrant) are some of its freshest and brightest spots.
Thespian’s medley of remixed Greek hits is a fun intermission treat, but overall, the show’s familiarity with overused material slows it down as it relies more on filler than original and memorable musical numbers. Its playful Eurovision tracks offer a glimpse into what could be on stage, with its fantastic cast, roleplaying through multiple characters as the story of friendship, love and self-discovery waddle on, they also double as stagehands for the clunky set. But with a live band on stage and too many characters to develop, the close HOME theatre has little space for choreography and movement.
Mischief venturing out into a new format is commendable, but Thespians feels overlong and underwhelming. Unfortunately, in its current form, the show will not have the lasting influence of Mischief’s other works, as their fine-tuned comedic timing is not enough for this musical. God only knows why it is hemmed in by such static staging, why its fantastic villain is left to wilt and why there are so few hits, but it makes for a musical comedy of errors.
Tickets are available via the HOMEmcr link