Love is the same, but the rules have changed, and particularly for millennials with the world of social media, dating sites and hook-up apps at everyone’s finger tips, Mr Right should only be a click away, but we all know it really isn’t that simple. This sentiment is perfectly captured in GUY: a New Musical by Leoe Mercer and Stephen Hyde, collectively Leoe&Hyde, playing at the King’s Head Theatre after successful runs at The Bunker and various regional Fringes.
GUY centres around the titular character who is desperate to find love, but lacks confidence to do so because of his weight and own body image. When he is rebuffed by his ‘soul mate’ on Grindr he uses his best friends photo to become a catfish with predictable consequences. Spurred on by what could be possible if only he looked different, Guy joins a gym and goes from uptight to Grindr ho in no time.
It’s a cleverly woven story which is both plausible and recognisable, with a nice mix of tender moments and humour. There is a lot happening in the relatively short running time, so it feels like some of the story arc’s are left unexplored, while Guy’s rapid transformation of character is a little difficult to believe.
The main selling point of GUY is the music, a really nice blend of songs from Eurobeat to light techno, with a bit of hip hop thrown in. The engaging lyrics work well with some undeniable hooks, ‘Click’ which thankfully gets a reprise, is the catchiest of the tunes and will undoubtably be stuck in my head for days to come.
Brendan Matthew gives Guy an unashamedly apologetic side, which allows you to empathise with the character, even when he is at his most self-pitying and selfish. Sean Miley-Moore is the strongest of the four in terms of vocals, and makes the most of Yupik Masui’s choreography which creates a sense of the suffocating pressure felt by the lead characters.
Steve Banks and Adam Braidley complete the cast taking on a variety of roles, it was fascinating to watch them switch so adroitly from their main role to these supplementary roles. Banks was particularly strong as Tyler, and made him a character that would be worth exploring further, while Braidley’s Joe and Dom were filled with gloriously subtle nuances.
While the overall story is innovative, there are certain elements which could flow a little more naturally. However, GUY does possess a score which gives it a certain edge over musicals of a similar scale, and the performance from the cast of four is engaging and accomplished. This is a musical that leaves you thinking that perhaps the Guy we have seen on stage is really just every guy, no matter how they present themselves to the outside world.
