Newsroom (Venue 93)
17:00
6th to 30th Aug (Not 18th or 25th)
***
Exist Theatre wowed with their production Man Enough at the Fringe last year and it was always going to be a tough act to follow.
Based on the documentary Jesus Camp about pre-teens who are recruited into evangelical bible camps, where they are taught to be the soldiers of god, the idea of flipping this into a comedy musical is a brave one.
A lot of it works nicely. There’s the background presence of Winstane Eade (think the pianist from Glee) as well as the radio announcements chronicling the camp’s decline. Dan Reeves and Bethan Francis are on point with their delivery and are adorable as the protagonists, Chad and Lucy. The see-saw between them as one enters the tale as a devout believer, the other a rebel, who then swap their positions is clever.
There’s something just a little creepy though about watching adults play 12-year-olds who are fairly sexualised. Add to this the odd sing-song quality of their voices (appropriate for the genre). If you shut your eyes Bethan’s Lucy becomes Avenue Q’s Kate Monster.
Still it’s a damned good show. Funny, slightly cringe worthy at times, it’s worth a visit and a donation in the bucket at the end.
Source:
http://ift.tt/1DQz3pS