EDINBURGH 2016- Review: THE MISERABLES, The Caves, 9 August

The Miserables is a parody of Les Miserables that is centred around working in an office job. Claire has a 2:1 arts degree and has wound up working in the laminate flooring industry. We open with a version of "I Dreamed A Dream" where she tells us this isn't the life she imagined for herself.

The songwriting is excellent and the vocal performances are decent. To the tune of "Master of the House" we have "General Manager", and an ode to online dating - "On My Phone". The lyrics are clever and make for the perfect parody.

The problem is the rest of it. The venue isn't great - there are spotlights at the back which kill the atmosphere if you are seated under them. The cast and techs are situated at the back of the room and their whispers during the performance is incredibly off-putting. The sound also isn't brilliant - the backing tracks for the music are louder than the vocals throughout.

There also isn't much of a story. There are a couple of good lines, which are relatable for anyone who has worked in an office before, but the rest of the dialogue is clunky and awkward.

The Miserables runs at The Caves until 28 August.

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