Wilma’s Rating [rating=5]
Scott Morgans musical Geek! opened at the Tristan Bates Theatre last night after two sold out previews. Being a new show, I didn’t really know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised to discover I was watching an amalgamation of some of my favourite west end shows.
Imagine Wicked the Musical and Legally Blonde, merged together, with language and humour more uncomfortable than Book of Mormon! Obscenities that I did not even know existed but you can’t help but laugh at! Just when you think they have gone too far with their similarities to other shows, they declare ‘this is the part where we rip off Wicked’ proving that it is their every intention to make fun of themselves and what they are doing.
The story is simple and predictable. The new girl at Sarah Michelle Gellar High, Jane, is taken on board by the ‘popular’ girls of the school to make her over so that she can win a beauty competition, after one of the popular girls has her credit card frozen by her father for overspending. Naked bodies and blow up dolls (being carried in the most efficient way) are just the tip of the iceberg in this show where no holes are barred and anything can happen. Producer CJ De Mooi plays the alcoholic teacher humorously, a bit like a skinny Miss Trunchbull in Matilda.
Stand out performances come from Lea Marinelli (as Fissy Joy), Bradley Richardson (as Bernie the Elephant Man), Ciaran O’Driscoll (as Donna/Remus) and Anna Haresnape (as Jane).
Great writing, great choreography and great acting in places, makes this show almost ready for the big west end stage. With some tweaks and a little recasting, Geek can be perfect. The pros far outweigh the cons on this show, leaving me unable to award Geek! less than 5 stars.
Geek is not for the faint hearted, but if you love musical theatre and want to see some of your favourite shows disguised as a different show, then this is for you.
Geek! plays at the Tristan Bates Theatre until 18th May 2013. For more information and to book tickets click here
Photos by Darren Bell www.darren-bell.co.uk
