Review: UNSUNG: THE ACCIDENTAL VILLAINS OF HISTORY at Toronto Fringe
The charming musical comedy is welcoming audiences at Theatre Passe Muraille from June 30-July 11.
Unsung: The Accidental Villains of History, currently welcoming audiences at Theatre Passe Muraille as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival from June 30-July 11, is a charming and entertaining musical with stellar vocals, but lacks essential context for those not well-versed in world history.
"This is all made up, based loosly on events. If you came here for facts, please cut us some slack. If you came here to laugh, this is your kind of class. But if you want to learn a history lesson, don't go to the theatre, please go to school."
No stranger to Canadian fringe festivals, Unsung: The Accidental Villains of History was previously featured at London Fringe, Winnipeg Fringe and Ottawa Fringe. The quirky musical comedy provides a musical glimpse into several not so well-known -- "unsung" -- villains throughout history. If you're not a history buff, it's quite likely that you won't be familiar with at least a few of the characters portrayed in the hour-long show.
Unsung contains 7 short scenes, each depicting a different historical event. The show begins with events from the Titanic and ends with Apollo 11. In the middle, we have stories that include the Greek warrior Sinon and the Trojan Horse, the creation of "Guyotine" (Guillotine), and -- the highlight of the show -- Annie Edson Taylor's journey down Niagara Falls in a barrel (this is extremely cleverly achieved, using a small doll figurine and a tiny toy barrel). The brief use of Law & Order's iconic "dun-dun" sound effect was another standout that made many in the audience chuckle.
The cast is undeniably talented and their vocal abilities were exceptional. Each performer tackled several completely different roles with success and charm. There is no doubt that several of these young performers will go on to achieve great musical theatre careers.
On the other hand, for a show about villains, the tone was a little too cheerful.
While I understand that the show's purpose is to highlight the "unsung" accidental villains of history, I left feeling no more educated than I'd been walking into the theatre. Many characters' names are hardly mentioned and little context is provided before diving into each event, making it difficult for the average audience member to follow along. I found myself running to Google after the performance, in attempt to figure out what and who some of the scenes were supposed to be depicting.
Unsung: The Accidental Villains of History has a lot of potential and is a highly-entertaining way of spending an hour.
However, this musical would greatly benefit from providing audiences with additional context for those lacking history knowledge. This could be achieved using something as simple as a large sign with key details from each event (such as the setting and the characters' names), or perhaps by adding or changing musical numbers to provide more identifying information. With a few tweaks, this show could go far.
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