REVIEW: Unexpected Joy, Southwark Playhouse ✭✭✭✭
Sophie Adnitt reviews Unexpected Joy, a new musical by Bill Russell and Janet Hood now playing at Southwark Playhouse.
Sophie Adnitt reviews Unexpected Joy, a new musical by Bill Russell and Janet Hood now playing at Southwark Playhouse.
Casting has been announced for the European premiere of Bill Russell and Janet Hood’s heartfelt and hilarious new musical Unexpected Joy at Southwark Playhouse.
I’m delighted to say that I’m already booked to go back and have another session with Tick Tick BOOM!, and its fascinating aesthetic conundrums, later in the run. It is the kind of production that rewards such attention.
They took firm hold of Larson’s lyrics and crescendoing rock melodies – every word, every beat, brimming with anger and exigency; his lyrics carry imperative messages that couldn’t be swallowed passively by Larson’s audiences, and capture a sense of urgency characteristic of a life lost too soon.
The Verb, To Love is a curious and wonderful new musical currently playing at the Old Red Lion Theatre. It’s easy to be impressed by the show’s sole author, Andy Collyer. The plot is clearly taken somewhat from the man’s life, which is, on some level, impressive full stop. Few authors are comfortable “putting it all out there” so blatantly—especially when the story is his own relatively unsuccessful love life and the journey to discovering that one doesn’t need a boyfriend or partner to be validated as a human being. The score is extremely intelligent, with little nuggets of knowing humour for an audience well versed in musical theatre.