PUBLIC The Musical could also be a piece in progress at VAULT Festival but it surely seems like a present with a lot promise already
“We’re making…small talk”
This 12 months’s VAULT has thrown up some crackers when it comes to new musical theatre writing – In Clay and The Phase being two of my reveals of the competition. And on the final, they’ve uncovered one other one as PUBLIC The Musical entered the Crescent for 2 work-in-progress showings which recommend one thing very thrilling is within the offing for this inventive group.
Stroud & Notes’ PUBLIC takes place in actual time within the realest of places – a public toilet in the midst of Victoria Park. Four strangers discover themselves needing to make use of the amenities however when the door deal with breaks off as they’re making an attempt to depart, the hour-long look ahead to the upkeep group to reach (wonderful work from the council!) leaves them with little alternative however to get to know one another.
It is likely to be a contact contrived as a set-up however hey, it’s a musical. And from the driving chords of the very first tune, you quickly purchase into the vanity as a result of Kyla Stroud’s rating is an absolute corker even at this early stage. Described as pop/rock however with hints of r’n’b and soul blended in as nicely by my reckoning, there’s a implausible musical and lyrical confidence right here which actually units a definite id for the present from the beginning.
There’s additionally an actual pleasure in listening to so most of the songs together with some if not the entire 4 voices of the corporate. Solos are all nicely and good however there’s one thing spine-tingling in regards to the theatrical mix of harmonies and duets and PUBLIC makes probably the most of its setting to take advantage of these alternatives nicely. Maddison Bulleyment, Lemuel Knights, Annabel Marlow and Andrew Patrick-Walker all delivering astonishing work given their restricted time with the fabric.
Bookwise, the present breaks down a raft of up to date considerations in its character research – anxiousness, poisonous masculinity, pronouns, the local weather disaster, allyship, love, life and Instagram Lives. There’s maybe just a little neatness to the way in which by which most all matters get completed and handled within the house of a tune however in lower than an hour, what else are ya gonna do? For although on this proof I might fortunately sit by one other hour of PUBLIC, there’s one thing to be mentioned for leaving the viewers wanting extra. I can’t wait to see what’s subsequent for this one.