For those of us lucky enough to visit the theatre on a regular basis, the heroic work of the front of house staff is very obvious. Whether it’s dealing with irate audiences, locating missing ice cream spoons, or generally staying cheery night after night; it’s these under-appreciated theatre ushers who are at the centre of Ushers: The Front of House Musical, playing at The Other Palace Studio in a 10th anniversary revival.
There’s a hint of the immersive in this production; the ushers checking over the auditorium before curtain up are in fact the cast. When the show starts, we’re not watching ‘Love Island The Musical’ (though, that’s probably already in development somewhere), instead it’s the story of the ushers which captivates this audience.
James Rottger’s book is fairly straightforward, with Lucy (Danielle Rose) on her first shift at the theatre, it falls to deviously ambitious theatre manager Robin Poketts and his team to show her the ropes. Ben and Gary’s (Luke Bayer and Cleve September) relationship is under pressure and Rosie is forging a career on Tik Tok as a stalker of leading men (look out Charlie Stemp, Jordan Luke Gage and especially Michael Ball!). And it wouldn’t be a musical without some kind of romantic arc, and a will they/wont they scenario develops between Lucy and Stephen (Christopher Foley).
The story unfolds between the selling of merch and restocking of the bar. Robin is in line for a big promotion, but his behaviour makes him the antagonist that provides the thrust of the narrative. Daniel Paige is wonderful in the role, taking pantomime villainy to whole new levels.
The true joy of Ushers is in the theatre based jokes, which delight fans of the stagey persuasion. Taking aim at recent West End flops, impresarios and well known theatre companies, this isn’t a show that holds back. Ushers might be ten years old, but the script has been brought right up to date. The cast also get to join in the fun, “wasn’t he in Hamilton, and now he’s working front of house?” says Cleve September (original West End cast member of Hamilton).
Yiannis Koutsakos and James Oban’s music and lyrics are largely enjoyable numbers which gently parody some of musical theatre’s greatest hits. Numbers like ‘Leading Men’, performed with aplomb by Bethany Amber Perrins’ Rosie, and ‘The Ballad of Robin Poketts’ are the best examples of this, and Adam Haigh’s choreography also feels like a love letter to some of the best known theatre dance routines.
Max Reynold’s production is a stagey delight, and Ushers: The Front of House Musical has managed to stay fresh over the last decade. Although there’s a lot here for theatre lovers, it’s made equally accessible for those who aren’t quite as familiar with backstage politics, so there won’t be many irate audiences to appease at this show, Ushers is a genuine crowd pleaser.
