EDINBURGH FESTIVAL 2009 - REVIEW: FACEBOOK: THE MUSICAL, C Venues, August 12

Clare Maddox is not sending drinks, icecreams or zombie requests Facebook: The Musical's way

Ah, it was only a matter of time before someone quit lounging around playing Mafia Wars and hit upon the idea of a beautiful collision between musical theatre and social networking: a chance to make lyrical blue-and-white windows into the souls of...well, lipstick lesbians, horny teenage boys and creepy teachers, to name a few.

With lyrics like, "I poke you, I slap you, I throw a sheep at you", it dutifully covers all the familiar Facebook bases, but as much as it aspires to hurl ovine projectiles in the general direction of the cultural zeitgeist, this Web 2.0-will-eat-itself gimmick fails to get the blue thumbs-up.

Based on the premise of creating a fake profile for one Carmen Valentino to ensnare the unwitting masses, the show has a couple of good running jokes on the dislocation between reality and The Great Empire of Our Lord Zuckerberg, with every invite to a character's house prompting the question, "...but where do you live?"

But as the story plods on, and hapless teacher Arthur falls for troubled pupil Rose via internet-fuelled confession sessions (and a bedroom scene that, although tame, actually prompted 'ick' noises from the audience) it becomes less a jolly musical about the social networking craze and more a lame apologia for dodgy teachers who try it on with their students. Which is apparently okay, says the script, because the guy likes Radiohead. Ahem.

The cast's strong voices and once-more-with-feeling attitude go some way to putting a bit of life into the dull script and forgettable songs, but after two hours it's apparent this is just poking by numbers.

 

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