SHOUT! THE MOD MUSICAL

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

★★★

“A rainbow of colourful characters with whom we are able to have tremendous fun”

There is a moment in the second act of “Shout! The Mod Musical” when the ensemble cast come together for a rendition of Mary Hopkin’s ‘Those Were the Days’. Shrouded in poignancy, it is quite a moving moment. A mid-tempo number reflecting mid-life melancholy. The only problem, however, is that we are wondering what those days were. There is very little to look back on, such is the shallowness of Phillip George and Davis Lowenstein’s book. Mind you, there’s little room for one amidst the relentless procession of sixties hit songs. More of a musical revue than a musical. And, viewed as such, it is, in fact, multi-coloured, musical magic. The five performers burst with a kind of tutti-frutti charisma, sharing out the songs between them like kids in a candy store, or an eat-all-you-can buffet of mouth-watering harmonies.

We’re in the swinging sixties, with set and costume (uncredited) that place us in something resembling an early Top of the Pops studio. Along with James Davies’ wig and hair design, the authenticity of the period is fully created, aided further by musical director Gabrielle Ball’s no-frills, sample-free, three-piece band. The girls (we can call them that – it is the sixties) all possess an abundance of energy and singing talent that drives the show at speed through the overflowing repertoire. We are in a living jukebox, where the music is interrupted by a series of short, rather lame, comedy sketches. The premise is intriguing though. Throughout the story, the five characters send letters to Gwendolyn Holmes (voiced by Pippa Winslow), an agony aunt who works for the fictitious style magazine ‘Shout!’. They are invariably disappointed by the useless advice they are given to deal with their situations (for ‘situations’ read ‘love life’). They are nameless, identified only by the colour that they wear. Red Girl (Isabella Mason) is the ingenue of the group who has self-image issues while Orange Girl (Lauren Bimson) is the matriarchal figure struggling to cope with a philandering husband. Yellow Girl (Gabrielle Cummins) has come from across the pond, laden with her cargo of self-confidence and romantic memories. Green Girl (Lauren Allan) is the sex maniac (we can say that – it is the sixties), uninhibited, racy and full of seaside town postcard humour. Blue Girl (Madeleine Doody) is the sophisticate; well-heeled and gorgeous – and she knows it, although we later learn that there is something quite specific that she is unsure of.

A rainbow of colourful characters with whom we are able to have tremendous fun, even if there is no pot of gold at the end. There is little in the way of an arc too, so director Joseph Hodges, with choreographer Jay Gardner, rightly focus on the songs, creating a seamless medley of delight and joy. The likes of Burt Bacharach, Tony Hatch, Sandie Shaw, Neil Sedaka – and many others – are all showcased. Even John Barry, during a lovely Bond pastiche where ‘Goldfinger’ is renamed ‘Coldfinger’. True to its ensemble nature, none of the cast outshine each other, yet they all shine individually and collectively. The chemistry is there but unfortunately the script prohibits any real onstage connection. But the singers easily bypass such quibbles with their strong connection to the audience.

Yes, this show is dated. That is the whole point. At one point a rather clumsy and incongruous use of placards attempts to shoehorn in a hint of twenty-first century credo, but the show doesn’t necessarily need it. This is a musical comedy, and the irony should speak for itself. What is clear, though, is that the music not only speaks for itself. It Shouts! So go ‘Downtown’ and forget all your troubles, forget all your cares. If nothing else, it will make you feel ‘aaaaalllllright!’

SHOUT! THE MOD MUSICAL

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Reviewed on 27th June 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Zac Cooke

Last ten show reviewed at this venue:

ORDINARY DAYS | ★★★★ | April 2025

ENTERTAINING MURDER | ★★★ | November 2024

THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE | ★★★ | September 2024

TOM LEHRER IS TEACHING MATH AND DOESN’T WANT TO TALK TO YOU | ★★ | May 2024

IN CLAY | ★★★★★ | March 2024

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD | ★★★ | February 2024

YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN | ★★ | December 2023

THIS GIRL – THE CYNTHIA LENNON STORY | ★★ | July 2023

HOW TO BUILD A BETTER TULIP | ★★ | November 2022

FOREVER PLAID | ★★★★ | June 2021

SHOUT

★★★★

“The simple sincerity is heartwarming”

When asked to pick out his favourite exhibit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Warren (played by the suitably kooky but charismatic Aidan Cutler) selects a very ordinary still life. ‘It’s a little bit boring’ counters Dora Gee’s spiky Deb. But, as Warren points out, she is missing the point. We don’t need the bigger picture; the colours of ‘an ordinary day’ (as the song lyrics proclaim) are beautiful. A touch platitudinous, but it is the central message of Adam Gwon’s sung-through musical “Ordinary Days”. On the surface, simplicity is the keynote, but the compositions have an underlying complexity that the talented cast of four deliver with a deceptive ease and panache.

Set in New York, the musical follows four characters – Warren, Deb, Jason and Claire – as they weave in and out of each other’s lives through a series of twenty-one finely constructed songs. Each number is a stand-alone vignette telling its own story, but also an essential brush stroke of the bigger picture on display. It is a neat, introspective device, although a little bit hampered by its pithy predictability. But it is nice to be reminded that everybody is interesting in their own way and even the smallest of actions can have a (often unseen) positive effect.

Warren is a wannabe artist, barely scratching a living distributing leaflets for his employer, a graffiti artist currently in prison. On his rounds he picks up discarded minutiae and memorabilia – a photograph here, a valentine card there – and one day he stumbles on a graduation thesis accidentally dropped by Deb. Discovering a contact email in the notes, Warren gets in touch to suggest meeting at the Met to return them. He senses adventure – she is suspicious of this whacky character. But, yes, they do warm to each other and an unlikely alliance develops. Meanwhile, Jason is moving into his girlfriend’s apartment. Claire feels her space is being invaded. The couple tend to bicker a lot – over wine and taxis mainly – the core of a stand-out number, ‘Fine’, which has a Sondheim-like quality and energy to it. Melisa Camba, as Claire, shrouds her bristly nature in humour, stunning us with her smooth vocals, while James Edge renders his awkward devotion instantly relatable. There is a hidden darkness to their story, revealed later but covertly hinted at in the simple symbolism of a favourite, old sweater that Claire refuses to throw out.

The two couples never meet, but their fates are unwittingly sealed by the others’ actions. The overlap is mirrored by director Karl Steele’s stripped back staging with the two pairs in constant close orbit but never quite colliding. The only set is a series of crates, moved around to convey the apartments, the museum, a taxi ride or a skyscraper’s rooftop terrace. The fine voices of the four performers give clarity to the melodic narrative, sometimes a wordy scattergun onslaught, at others a tender ballad. The gifted Nick Allen, on keys, provides a varied piano accompaniment that does occasionally betray the show’s limitations. Minimalism is taken to the extreme, but the cast use it to maximum effect. A beautifully sung fairy-tale, it ultimately grabs our hearts. Yes, it is sweet and gooey yet delivered in manageable doses that don’t clog the arteries. Some people might prefer more bite, but this isn’t what “Ordinary Days” is about. It is four people looking for themselves. For their own story. It is not remarkable, but it is special in its own way. If that is all you take away from it, it has done its job. But most people, I think, will see more than that. The simple sincerity is heartwarming; sometimes funny, other times moving, and always a joy to watch and listen to. “Ordinary Days” is extraordinary in its own quirky way.

SHOUT! THE MOD MUSICAL

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

★★★

“A rainbow of colourful characters with whom we are able to have tremendous fun”

SHOUT! THE MOD MUSICAL

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Reviewed on 27th June 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Zac Cooke

Last ten show reviewed at this venue:

SHOUT

SHOUT

SHOUT

ORDINARY DAYS

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

★★★★

“The simple sincerity is heartwarming”

ORDINARY DAYS

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Reviewed on 23rd April 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Perro Loco

Previously reviewed at this venue:

ORDINARY DAYS

ORDINARY DAYS

ORDINARY DAYS

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