Review: BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: SUMMONING SONDHEIM at Bar Broadway, Brighton

Have you ever wished that you could bring your favourite musical composer back from the dead for just one day by means of a spooky musical seance? If so, then Summoning Sondheim is right up your street.

The concept is simple - resurrect the spirit of Stephen ('Joshua', as we are oft reminded) Sondheim so he can help them write the perfect musical. Summoning Sondheim is the brainchild of self-proclaimed witches, Grace O'Keefe and Jordana Belaiche, who between them boast comedy awards and West End credits.  Under the moniker of 'The Queen of Cups', This union has resulted in a creation that's a unique blend of offbeat comedy and musical theatre parody. Sondheim fans will best appreciate the in-jokes peppered throughout, but even someone with the most rudimentary grasp of musical theatre will find enjoyment in its eccentricities.

O'Keefe takes on the role of protagonist whilst Belaiche plays around with several characters, displaying robust comedy chops and some lovely vocals. As a duo, they work seamlessly together. The original musical parodies written for the show could do with some work - their earnestness about the contribution that Sondheim has given to the theatre world rings true, but these moments sit awkwardly alongside the more outlandish scenes, which is where they both really thrive and grab the audience's attention. 

Expect some fun audience participation - even the shameless promotion for someone that was a very clearly planted audience member was a nice way to honour the craft and build up their fellow creatives. So if you're not the type to enjoy being hauled on stage, fret not! Despite the small confines of the Bar Broadway theatre, both O'Keefe and Belaiche exploit the space throughout the 60 minutes by weaving in and out of the audience and this sense of movement creates a nice sense of pace for a narrative in which not very much actually happens.

I won't spoil it by revealing if the witches truly did achieve their goal in summoning this musical theatre titan to the southern UK shores. But I certainly enjoyed being part of this outlandish love letter to Sondheim's legacy.

Summoning Sondheim will next run at New Wimbledon Theatre on June 14th, at the Museum of Comedy and West End Comedy Club for Camden Fringe and the last two weeks of Edinburgh Fringe at Just the Tonic, supported by the Keep it Fringe Fund.

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