EDINBURGH 2015 - BWW Reviews: UNDER THE GROUND, Assembly Checkpoint, August 9 2015
Under The Ground is a brand new musical written by students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Set on the Glasgow underground it tells the story of the strangers that we sit next to and don't give a second thought.
My first thought, and it is a very pedantic one, is that it is very unrealistic to have a conversation with someone on the Glasgow underground. Anyone who has travelled on it will know that it rattles so loudly it is impossible to speak to the person directly next to you! I did enjoy some of the local references and "eight minutes feeling like a year" when that is the standard wait time for the trains.
There are several little stories that play out within this musical but none of the ideas are fully explored. The show is a little disjointed and doesn't flow brilliantly between characters and scenes. As you would expect from the Conservatoire, the vocals are excellent. The songs are forgettable but delivered with a lot of enthusiasm.
Under The Ground has a little too much crammed in. I would be really surprised if the writers didn't draw inspiration from the off-West End show LIFT as it felt really similar throughout. The musical as a whole didn't really do much for me but it has some interesting ideas.
Ticket information for Under The Ground can be found on the edfringe website.
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