Brighton Fringe Review: HOW TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN AN IMPOSSIBLE WORLD – WITH A PIANO!, Rotunda Theatre (Squeak)

How To Survive and Thrive in an Impossible World – with a piano! is billed as an “interactive wellbeing show”  - a two-man musical about resilience.  About how we keep going, and hopefully even thrive, in an increasingly complicated world. Written by and starring Steve Bonham and composer Chris "The Bishop" Lydon, it’s an ambitious concept with a lot of heart, and there’s no doubt the creators are aiming for something meaningful.

I really like what this show is trying to achieve, but it didn’t quite get there for me.

Interactive theatre usually – to use modern parlance - gives me the ick, but Bonham and Lydon handle the audience participation very neatly and unobtrusively. It feels inclusive rather than awkward. That said, the sections involving the audience in the dance routines ended up being more distracting than engaging.  I was so focused on getting the moves right (and that I didn’t accidentally clap on the 1 and 3!) that I missed most of the lyrics. Which felt like a shame given they were clearly intended to carry a lot of the show’s message.  

The comedy is uneven. A lot of the jokes didn’t quite land, and some felt oddly dated. There were also moments where the delivery felt a little stilted, which interrupted the flow and made certain sections feel less polished than they could have been.

What does work throughout is the music. Both performers are clearly very accomplished musicians, and their playing is consistently enjoyable. Unsurprisingly, the piano becomes the strongest voice on stage.

And there are flashes of real insight. A lovely allegory about being so busy looking for dangers in the grass that you miss the snake directly at eye level neatly captures the show’s wider message about modern life and anxiety.

How To Survive and Thrive in an Impossible World – with a piano! is a show with warmth, ambition and a lot of sincerity. It may not fully land, but its optimism is hard not to admire.