I'm one of those people. Those people who like that programme about that show choir at that American high school. It’s an auto-tuned, smalltown-girl-hits-the-big-time, emotional roller-coaster, where jocks are friends with nerds because everybody lives happily ever after, via Lady Gaga and The Rocky Horror Show. Yeah, I'm a Gleek. I'm a bit of a muso too, occasionally. But you don't have to be a Gleek to enjoy Showchoir!, in fact as long as you like musicals, then you'll probably love this show. Essentially, it's a giant parody of everything Broadway, West End and thespian. And American. Especially American. The ensemble, brought to the Fringe by the same people as Sunday in the Park with George and Wasted Love, present this New York cult hit. Jake has had a dream, a dream of a show choir, and through mockumentary, song and dance, One Academy Productions takes us through the rise and fall of a show choir destined for the big stage. The musical has been imported directly from New York, and the script and songs are marvellous, accompanied mostly by a piano and occasionally making use of other instruments. In particular the opening number is great, satirising the majority of songs from the shows since... well... ever. It is clear that these performers' strengths lie in their singing rather than their acting, though that's not to say the ensemble is by any means bad in between the musical numbers, it's just not their forte. If it wasn't for some occasionally slow scene changes, character dropping and awkward blocking, this would be a near-perfect show. Particularly well-used devices are the two mirrors, allowing for some great mockumentary scenes where the speaker actually has their back to the audience, visible through their reflection. This works well, but in a space like C +2, can occasionally become awkward, with audience craning their necks to see exactly what's happening. All in all, movement works pretty well in this space, and actors manage to dance their way around without too much trouble, though this is clearly a show meant for a larger space. Showchoir! is an absolutely hilarious parody of a musical, full of brilliant one-liners. It's a Fame for this generation, taking what Glee has done and creating a musical with real talent and no auto-tuning. Most importantly it's a refreshing take on an age-old tradition of actors playing actors. Forget Glee, this is a lot, lot better.

Reviewer:
Paul Virides

Paul Virides has written 16 reviews for Broadway Baby since joining the team in 2011.