Vicki Millar's new musical feels still like a work in progress, and more like a revue than a fully developed piece of theatre. That said, it is consistently engaging and has some bright dramatic and musical moments.
It begins by establishing a simple format of reminiscing about life-changing events then singing about lessons learned. I did not find this to be particularly interesting. It seemed to suffer from telling more than showing. I want to see stories unfold, not hear about how they did once unfold in the past. However, this technique does serve to introduce each character to the audience and I was happy to find that as the play progressed, the music and story were brought much more to the present moment.
The musically able cast display a range of levels in acting ability. Alexandra McKellar stands out as the most natural performer. She is at all times in character, and flicks effortlessly between speech and song. She receives laughs on most of her lines, despite the script's predictability and overblown tendencies. Michael Murphy is believable as the lovesick rockstar, but he did not connect with his quieter, more tender moments in as truthful a manner as is necessary. Shaan Antunovich and Nathaniel Ta'ase each paint their character with rather a broad brush.
The biggest obstacle this show faces is that it lies somewhere between a cabaret and a play, but it struggles to make a strong enough claim to either style. I felt it worked best when songs were used to recreate another time and place, as when the actors create an office scenario. I would have liked to have seen more of that. Its biggest strength, however, is in the honest connections the cast make with each other. The cast manage to create a warmth and charm that carries the show's weaker moments.
Vicki Millar's songs are reasonably catchy, and would certainly bear repeating. I would certainly enjoy hearing "Flat E" again.
See this show if you wish to support new works of NZ musical theatre.
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