If you can beg, borrow or steal a 12-16 year old girl to take to see the Fangirls Musical, then do it. The show has come over from Australia where it’s been a big hit and is currently on at The Lyric in Hammersmith (until the 24th August) and then I suspect it will be shining brightly in a West End Theatre at some point soon (but I hope they keep the same cast – although I know the Aussie cast are also brilliant).
My niece and brother:-
I literally loved it and this is coming from the least invested musical theatre goer ever. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it – I was with my 12 year old niece, but I decided just to sit back and embrace it – but right from the opening scene with a very strong song it was powerful (Bat Out Of Hell-esque) and it all just went from strength to strength. It was joyful and smart with infectiously catchy songs, a brilliant cast, a great story AND (the bit I tend to struggle with in musicals in general) a really brilliant dark, dry humour throughout. It was uplifting, funny and yet managed to deal with some pretty serious teenage issues. The choreography was also extremely strong, complex, but uber cool, so a thrill to watch all the dance sequences. I wasn’t therefore surprised to hear that Ebony Williams – Beyonce’s choreographer for her Renaissance World Tour has been working with them.
Of course the lingo was that of a 14 year old girl today – on social media and different terminology to back in our day (or even my children’s day)….BUT it still took me right back to the memories of those days I would lie in my bedroom staring at my poster of David Cassidy, or was it David Essex….Or maybe Lee Major (Six Million Dollar Man) or possibly even Farrah Fawcett Major (Bionic Woman/Charlie’s Angel)….when you felt such passion for the heartthrob singers whose songs were meant only for you. I could relate to it all even more because it’s quite a common symptom of getting divorced to go through that strange passionate “every song is for you” (even though it’s miserable) thing again, as you rediscover the joy of music.
The writer, Yve Blake has chosen to look at how we could harness all that teenage angst and passion instead of berate it. She questions why screaming teenage girls at a concert are considered mad, unlike screaming teenage boys at a football match. She focuses on encouraging parents to understand and empathise more with that sensitive teenage heart. Edna (played by Jasmine Elcock), the 14 year old protagonist has a single mother who is naturally confused about how to deal with her daughter, but steps up in the end to marvellous effect (excellently played by Debbie Kurup).
The story about how far Edna is prepared to go in the name of love is hilarious and touching. Never underestimate a teenage girl who believes a famous person needs saving from his miserable trapped life because he’s got “depression eyes”. The fierce passion of youth is most certainly celebrated in this wonderful play and it’s well worth seeing (even if you’re too old and can’t find a young one to take – go on your own! It will make your heart sing again). It’s two and a half hours long, but the time flew by.
Edna doesn’t particularly fit in at her new school but at least she and her “friends” can all agree on one thing – that “Harry” (let’s not pretend he’s anything other than Harry Styles) from the boyband “Heartbreak Nation” is to die for and when they hear the band is coming to Sydney, all manner of hell breaks loose.
Harry (played by Thomas Grant brilliantly) is all swishy hair, preening moves, multiple affectations and corny lines – the perfect pastiche:-
Jules – the could-be-quite-bitchy-one-but-broken-by-her-parents-divorce (played by Mary Malone) was standout excellent – her comic timing just fabulous and her moves brilliant. Another standout character is Lily (played wonderfully by Gracie McGonigal to great humorous effect).
Here we are at the end of the show with some of the cast:-
My niece thrilled to meet heartthrob “Harry” IRL and reported back that it was right up there with one of the best nights of her life (so far):-
