Review: TREASON THE MUSICAL, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Treason the Musical is a new musical that was first staged in a concert form in London in 2022. This week it made its world premiere as a complete show at the Festival Theatre, ahead of a Sheffield and London run. 

With book by Charli Eglinton and Kieran Lynn and music and lyrics by RICKY ALLAN, Treason the Musical tells the story of the 1605 gunpowder plot and gives an insight into what else was happening in the country at the time. 

Remember remember the 5th of November. But how well do we know the context surrounding the event which is still marked every year? Gabriel Akamo makes a glorious Guy Fawkes- a man who has less to do with these events than we have been led to believe. 

King James (Joe McFadden) has just taken to the throne and a group of Catholics see this as an opportunity to unite not only the kingdoms of Scotland and England but their religions as well. 

Philip Witcomb's set and costume design is perfect for the mood of the show and reflects the bleakness of this time. 

The songs in Treason are good and it is easy to see why this worked so well as a concert performance. The show has been well cast with excellent performances from Nicole Raquel Dennis (Martha Percy) and Oscar Conlon-Morrey (Robert Cecil). 

The problem with Treason the Musical is that it is just too drawn out. Each act runs at just an hour but there isn't enough plot to sustain it. The pacing of the show is uneven as we go from exciting belting musical theatre songs to dreary dialogue that overstays its welcome. 

Treason the Musical is a mixed bag as the songs and performances are definitely worth a watch but the book just isn't gripping enough. 

Photo credit: Danny Kaan

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