BWW Reviews: USHERS: THE FRONT OF HOUSE MUSICAL, Charing Cross Theatre, May 14 2014

We've been getting it wrong all this time! It's not up there on the stage where we should direct our attention, but in the foyer, in the aisles, even round the back near the bins - that's where the real dramas can be found in a theatre!

Ushers: The Front Of House Musical (at the Charing Cross Theatre until 7 June) chronicles one evening in the lives of the team charged with servicing / ripping off the patrons of "Oops I Did It Again" (starring Sheridan Smith as Britney Spears) - consider yourselves warned - as they fall in and out of love,see their acting dreams soar and sink and deal with the boss from hell. Sounds familiar? It should do, as it's a very traditional set-up, sharing much in common with the disastrous Wag - The Musical, at this same venue last year.

But it's a strange alchemy that is wrought to spin theatrical gold from such base metal. James Rottger, in his first professional work, has written some wonderfully warm characters, brimming with the vulnerabilities that make us human. Gary (Daniel Buckley) is torn between taking his big break on the Viennese stage and continuing his commitment to boyfriend Ben (Liam Ross-Mills), who just can't hold back his pain tinged with envy. Meanwhile the spark of love has been lit between new girl Lucy (Carly Thomas) and wannabe Jason Donovan (or is it wannabe Mark Rylance?) Stephen (Ross McNeill). And the sparks are flying between sworn enemies, tweeter / stalker / usher Rosie (Ceris Hine) and utter b*****d theatre manager Robin Pocketts (Jacob Chapman).

This young cast are all splendid, singing well, dancing well - well, sort of well - and excelling in the pathos and comedy that earned this show rave reviews on its first run and may yet see it promoted nearer Leicester Square than Charing Cross. Ms Hine and Mr Chapman are tremendous in their roles, and I wouldn't be at all surprised for us to see the Further Adventures of Rosie and Robin some time soon.

What about the songs? There's so much to admire about this production (I haven't even mentioned the witty video work, the bang up to the minute ad libs and the pin sharp in-jokes) that it would be easy to gloss over the music as, frankly, the script is plenty good enough to stand in its own right. But Yiannis Koutsakos (also on debut) has written twelve songs, any one of which would be a standout in other shows. Mr Buckley's Act II opening lament is the best of them - if you don't count Ms Hine's tour-de-force love song (or is that lust song?) "Leading Men".

Director Max Reynolds has assembled some young, but tremendously gifted, talents for this production and got absolutely everything out of them - the director's job description delivered. As for musical theatre's job description, this show makes you laugh, maybe makes you cry, overflows with great songs and wraps the setpieces in a contemporary story that convinces and charms. Is there a better night's entertainment in the theatre right now? I doubt it - unless you're looking in the foyer, in the aisles or outside, by the bins.

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