Mischief Theatre has tickled audiences across the globe; The Play That Goes Wrong, now in its 14th year in the West End, countless tours of Peter Pan Goes Wrong, and several of their productions being televised, prove that they’re a comedic force to be reckoned with. This time around, writers Jonathan Sayer and Ed Zanders have put pen to papyrus for the troupe’s first musical outing with Thespians: Greece The Musical.
Ancient Greece, 543BC: amid a never-ending drought, all five residents of the island of Ikaria must venture to Athens to compete in the Tyrant’s devious prayer competition. A dramatic discovery in rehearsals by aspiring trailblazer Thespis (James Spence) sets out a new course for these otherwise hopeless citizens.
Our band of heroes is instantly likeable. Chief elder Melampus (Mia Jerome) is endearingly played as an eccentric yet wise motherly figure, while Marc Pickering in the role of self-declared deputy Adonis represents the show’s highlight. He aces the delivery of every faux pas this insecure grandstander comes out with and has us laughing both with and at him throughout.
The “Greek chorus” of two, consisting of Rhapsodes (Allie Dart) and Bard (Matt Cavendish), delighted this audience with their Trojan horse load of cringe-inducing puns. Meanwhile, Rhys Taylor’s Tyrant serves as a deliciously ruthless villain, enjoying multiple bubble baths while their underlings dehydrate.
Thespians brims with all the traits one comes to expect of a Mischief show, from physical comedy to innuendo to silly wordplay (‘I definitely didn’t do a sickus uppus’ caught this reviewer off guard), which offsets a fairly unambitious plot.
As something of an homage to musicals, there is a variety of cheeky nods throughout. Stepping into each other’s sandals and realising their fellow Ikarians’ lives are “horrible” is reminiscent of Avenue Q’s ‘It Sucks to be Me’, while the ‘Old Man Tango’ is an enjoyable and less than subtle tribute to the Chicago showstopper. Though the songs do not quite have the same hook as the classics they imitate, ‘The Dionysia’, a Eurovision-style medley, is a particularly camp and charismatic number.
Jasmine Swan’s illuminated and pastel-tinted acropolis provides an immersive Grecian atmosphere, as do the vibrant togas, tunics and robes.
For a guaranteed spectacle at the amphitheatre, Thespians offers a musical odyssey of legendary value!
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
