Greece is the word - 'Thespians' delivers gags, songs, and daftness

REVIEW: ‘Thespians’ at New Theatre, Cardiff

The talented team behind the multi award-winning The Play That Goes Wrong have produced their first musical, and it landed in Cardiff last night (Tuesday 23 June) to an enthusiastic reception at the New Theatre.

Thespians, from Mischief, takes us to ancient Greece in 534BC, where a drought blights the land, and only a powerful new prayer can save the day.

The evil tyrant (Rhys Taylor) commands a Eurovision-style prayer competition, where the penalty for failure is death.

So, we follow the misfit residents of the tiny island of Ikaria, as they reluctantly enter the competition in Athens with a performance led by the ambitious Thespis (James Spence), with shy, lovestruck Atlas (Luke Latchman), scholarly Poly (Claire-Marie Hall), visionary Melampus (Mia Jerome), and deluded macho man Adonis (Mark Pickering).

The first act takes us through the preparations and the night of the big contest, which leaves the hour or so after the interval (plus another mini-interval last night to resolve a technical issue) to drift somewhat - following the islanders as they cope with life and fame in the capital.

Could they really become bigger than yoghurt? When was the world's first one-star review? Are we witnessing the birth of acting?

The second act is no less entertaining, though, as ambitions are fulfilled, loyalties are tested, and visions come true (sort of).

Written by Jonathan Sayer and Ed Zanders, it works like a conventional musical - with its by-the-numbers songs doing the necessary narrative work and often being very funny too.

Puns and word-play in the songs and dialogue ensure a constant flow of laughs, but for me the show is funniest when it returns to the classic Mischief physical humour - look out for low-hanging apples, an arrow flying in slow motion, and a flock of birds carrying a lost love (and other bits and pieces).

Director Robyn Grant drives it all along at a lively pace, and designer Jasmine Swan's set is an ingenious and versatile mix of movable columns and stairs.

Choreography is by Melody Sinclair-Marsh, with sound design by Nick Lodge and lighting by David Howe.

Music is provided live on stage - the musicians are half-hidden by those columns - under musical director Ben Smith.

Allie Dart and Matt Cavendish are the chorus, with Curtis Patrick, Ashley Tucker, and Josh Patel-Foster in the ensemble.

This is something new from Mischief - a first musical and a first show set in the ancient world. But it's reassuringly familiar in its quick-fire gags, physical humour, endearing characters, and general daftness. If you like singing and dancing - that's a bonus.

Overall, it's a very entertaining show, brilliantly performed and expertly staged. And as a bonus in this sweltering week - the New Theatre is air-conditioned!

If you're going to tomorrow (Thursday) evening's performance, there will be a free Q&A after the show.

Thespians is at the New Theatre until Saturday 27 June. Tickets are available from the box office on 0343 310 0041 or online here.

Review by Andy Weltch

Photos by Mark Senior

We received free tickets for this performance in exchange for an honest review