Tag Archives: LAMBCO Productions

SUPERSONIC MAN

★★★★

Southwark Playhouse Borough

SUPERSONIC MAN

Southwark Playhouse Borough

★★★★

“entertains with a heartwarming tale of courage in the face of adversity”

Just to get a couple of things out of the way to begin with. The title of Chris Burgess’ new musical, “Supersonic Man”, is misleading. So is the Marvel comic styled publicity artwork. Oh, and also the backdrop of David Shields’ set that depicts an over-sized ‘Greetings from Brighton’ postcard. None of this does remotely does what it says on the tin. Whether intentional or not, that is in fact a blessing. If you ignore the packaging and leave behind any preconceptions you might have, you are in for a real treat.

The ‘supersonic man’ in question is a young chap called Adam (Dylan Aiello), living a charmed life with his partner Darryl (Dominic Sullivan) in Brighton, surrounded by good chums Shaz (Mali Wen Davies), Ruth (Jude St. James) and Ben (James Lowrie). It has a feel of the ‘Friends’ sitcom about it, but this dissipates as it morphs through other genres and influences. This chameleon quality is a reflection of the writing. We think it is going to be a biographical account of the real-life character, Peter Scott-Morgan, whose battle with motor neurone disease was famously chronicled in the TV documentary ‘Peter: The Human Cyborg’. But, as Burgess has said, his musical is ‘loosely inspired by’, rather than ‘based on’, Scott-Morgan’s story and consequently reveals more about the human spirit in general.

And spirit is something this musical has in spades. Burgess isn’t afraid to give the serious subject matter a camp, glossy and comedic veneer. One that makes us laugh and tap our feet along to the catchy numbers, but one that doesn’t conceal the message either. Adam and Darryl’s life together is shattered when Adam is diagnosed with the disease. The short and long-term reactions are portrayed with integrity and without sentimentality. Aiello manages to mix the strength of Adam’s resolve to fight with a confused and lost anger that just wants to lash out. Sullivan’s Darryl is the force that keeps him going, along with Davies’ brilliant, no-nonsense Shaz, St. James’ solidly empowering Ruth and Lowrie’s cheerfully mocking yet motivating Ben. Yes, the focus is on Adam, but this is a close-knit ensemble. With a fair bit of multi-rolling thrown in.

The share of the songs is equally democratic, although Sullivan does seem to have been dealt the best hand here. His number, ‘The Life We Live’, is a keenly observed and moving ballad, with a touch of Barry Manilow’s ‘Could it be Magic’. That could well sound like an insult, but in context it is actually a huge compliment. (Oh – a quick note: in the absence of a song list, I’m giving the numbers my own titles… apologies to Burgess in advance if they are misnamed). Later, ‘Give Me A Voice’ is a gem steeped in metaphor and double meaning. The cast may not have the strongest voices, but they do capture the energy and character of Burgess’ lyrics.

Already a successful author and expert in robotics, Peter Scott-Morgan embraced every technology going in order to fight the progression of his disease, using himself as a test subject to help the cause of others with extreme disability. The Channel 4 documentary celebrated the story. Burgess, however, uses the parallel to expose the media’s cynicism. A domestic argument caught on camera is described as ‘TV gold’. One-liners pepper the text that on the surface are throwaways but, on closer inspection, shield a wealth of meaning. ‘I am in denial of being in denial’ quips Adam. ‘Jesus loves you’ he is told, to which he wryly replies, ‘tell him he’s not my type’. As the show progresses, the comedy gives way to poignancy. ‘I want you to be my lover, not my carer’. The show also drifts away from reality into dreamscape, reminiscent of the Bob Fosse ‘All That Jazz’ biopic. While Adam lies on the operating table, we witness his thoughts and dreams during a surreal, out of body sequence.

Richard Lambert’s atmospheric lighting constantly adapts to the varying sequences of the show, while musical director Aaron Clingham’s arrangements suit the mood of each number. Some of the musical staging is a bit repetitive and overall, the show does have rough edges. An epilogue feels like an afterthought, but it is still deeply moving, and the show is truly celebratory. We have spent the best part of two hours laughing (sometimes guiltily) and enjoying some catchy tunes. We have also been surreptitiously given a lesson. Sly, eh? Still, they say the best way to get people to listen is to entertain them. “Supersonic Man” definitely entertains with a heartwarming tale of courage in the face of adversity, with a powerfully honest love story running through it.



SUPERSONIC MAN

Southwark Playhouse Borough

Reviewed on 11th April 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Louis Burgess

 

 


 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

WILKO | ★★★ | March 2025
SON OF A BITCH | ★★★★ | February 2025
SCISSORHANDZ | ★★★ | January 2025
CANNED GOODS | ★★★ | January 2025
THE MASSIVE TRAGEDY OF MADAME BOVARY | ★★★ | December 2024
THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH | ★★★★★ | November 2024
[TITLE OF SHOW] | ★★★ | November 2024
THE UNGODLY | ★★★ | October 2024
FOREVERLAND | ★★★★ | October 2024
JULIUS CAESAR | ★★★ | September 2024

SUPERSONIC MAN

SUPERSONIC MAN

SUPERSONIC MAN

THE CRUMPLE ZONE

★★★

Waterloo East Theatre

THE CRUMPLE ZONE at the Waterloo East Theatre

★★★

“The fast pace creates its own sense of delirium, and the bitter aftertaste is delicious”

There is love happening in a festive Staten Island apartment. There is heartbreak happening too. There are heartfelt dilemmas as a twentysomething quartet – three men and a woman – try to sort out their criss-crossed relationships on the eve of Christmas.

In director Helen Bang’s cacophonous onslaught, sometimes it’s difficult to pick out these love stories from the rest. Because, between episodes of soul-searching, ecstasy and grief, there are the endless, merciless histrionics. No thought goes unexpressed. No minor shift in mood or status isn’t analysed then shouted loudly into someone’s face.

At the heart of it all, though, there’s the love quadrangle. Bitter queen Terry (scene stealer James Grimm) adores clean-cut Buck (James Mackay). But Buck has fallen for twisted and torn bi-sexual Alex (Jonny Davidson) who has girlfriend Sam (Sinead Donnelly) at arm’s length until he figures out his feelings for Buck, who loves him to the point of weepy despair.

Sam arrives for a showdown, having figured out something’s afoot. She stirs a pot already whizzing like a whirlpool.

Terry, never short of a bitchy exit line, sums it up thus, “Everyone I know is in love with everyone else I know.” Terry, shorn of reciprocal love himself, tends to scoop up random men, such as macho married-with-kids Roger (Nicholas Gauci) for hook-ups.

Terry, a feather boa on legs, is exhausting. They all are. Their verbal assaults tend to peak in either furious sex or rancorous wrestling, the difference between the two being moot.

Writer Buddy Thomas’ wordy mile-a-minute script – funny, busy and clever – is overwhelming at times. The cast feel it. They gamely wrangle the machine-gun acid drops but sometimes it simply gets away from them. The script is like a very big dog on a leash who spots a squirrel in the park – they hang on being pulled this way and that, hoping for a break.

There’s little time for nuance or character. They barely have a chance to register a reaction to some putdown before issuing a fully formed, impeccably paced, beautifully sour response. Consequently, there is very little genuine interaction, just a lot of staged sequential and sour monologues.

However, there are plums in the pudding. Alex’s comic retelling of his sacking as a mall Santa has room to breathe and is rewarding as a result. Grimm does a good line in drunken self-annihilation and Donnelly’s mousy Sam brings a squeak of genuine sadness to the tinselled madhouse.

Of course, Christmas spirit wins in the end, sort of, if not resolving the woes, then at least postponing conflict until the New Year. Everyone can have some turkey and lay down their weapons. Although you sense the men love the friction more than the ceasefire and can’t wait for hostilities to resume.

The performances here are spirited and fun. The fast pace creates its own sense of delirium, and the bitter aftertaste is delicious. If you’re looking for a dark alternative to a raft of cloying Christmas shows, set up camp in The Crumple Zone.

Naughty but nice. But naughty.


THE CRUMPLE ZONE at the Waterloo East Theatre

Reviewed on 29th November 2024

by Giles Broadbent

Photography by Peter Davies

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW | ★★★★★ | July 2021

THE CRUMPLE ZONE

THE CRUMPLE ZONE

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