The bar is set astronomically high for Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society (CUMTS), whose previous Fringe show Six the Musical went on to receive five Olivier Award nominations, two Tony Awards and four Drama Desk Awards. With book by Gabrielle James and music by Joshua Newman, their new show Living with Sin falls short, offering an underwhelming and uninspired performance.
The story follows Cece who, after losing her grandmother, cannot decide how to proceed with her life. Joined by the seven deadly sins, Cece journeys over to the wild side to try and find some direction. Without spoiling anything, the show concludes on a rather unsatisfying note, leaving quite a few loose ends.
The role of the seven deadly sins is very inconsistent, and they act as bad influences, guardian angels, materialised emotions, and friends of Cece’s grandmother. Their diluted identities and late introduction make it difficult to distinguish them from one another, and it is not always clear how their vices relate to the story.
The music in Living with Sin is quite catchy, and some of the songs have a devilish and enticing potency that the production desperately lacks. Ilona Sell’s choreography does well to complement this. Some of the songs could benefit from conveying a bit more life, but this could be said about the production in general.
Protagonist Cece is played by the talented Lauren Lopez who is highly watchable even when being serenaded by the sins. The seven deadly sins offered varying performances, with Lydia Clay-White most notably playing the materialistic character of Greed with a charming and vibrant energy.
The staging is cumbersome at times, especially during a rather redundant scene change which distracted the audience from Cece’s final song. Ramisa Hassan’s fabulous costume design was a fun way to convey the sins without being too obvious – although in this instance, obvious might have helped.
While it is somewhat unfair to judge Living with Sin against the society’s previous successes, the show is prominently marketed as being from the creators of Six. The show has some great songs and interesting ideas, but it is largely devoid of the edge that audiences might expect.
