EDINBURGH 2010: BWW Reviews: PLAGUE! THE MUSICAL (C)

You can see why this musical was so popular on its first Edinburgh run two years ago. Audiences are clearly delighted with its return - this show was rammed. Not only is it a well-written comedy take on history with a fairytale narrative, they've also created a love-letter to musical theatre, with pastiches of Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and Little Shop of Horrors in there.

With strong material, it's surprising the comedy wasn't maximised. Too many good lines were thrown away, leaving the audience silent when they should have been roaring. This is something director Tim Frost should have picked up weeks ago, as is the distracting facial tic demonstrated by Alyn Evans - clearly a very gifted actor and singer but with a tendency to poke his tongue into the side of his mouth at all times. I was waiting for a plot reveal that revolved around that, and as it never came I presume it's just a take on the character, which I found eminently distracting.

Still, definitely worth a look - Lucyelle Cliffe is a wonderful vocalist and comedienne, and Anna Brook-Mitchell has the potential to be a magnificent musical theatre character actress in years to come.

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