Zedel presents an 80-minute show I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical in a suave, Soho underground bar. The venue is something of a hidden gem, a French brasserie with a twenties twist. It is the perfect date night location, the dim lighting adds a cosy, romantic feel and delicious cocktails are served straight to your table from the bar.
The show begins with four young actors singing the struggles of the acting world through a narrative journey. They combine musical theatre with humour and bitterness to convey the ridiculousness of the industry. Their permanent role as understudy is amusing, nobody remembers their name let alone their hopes and dreams of becoming a star. They go to auditions only to find twenty carbon copies also waiting their turn, hoping that they too will be the next big thing. Diana Vickers comically changes her audition from rock diva to angelic princess while Suzie Mathers over does her vocal range in attempt to impress directors who have practically fallen asleep.
The show touches on the trials and tribulations of an actor, revealing the truth behind the glitzy world of show-business. The lyrics are amusing and the actors at various points certainly had the audience laughing. However, the singing is to whiney, too theatrical, which in itself presents an irony. In the same way the actor describe how their audience want to nothing more than to escape, the audience too at Zedel wanted nothing more than to run away.
- Cabaret
- By Alexander Bermage
- Cast: Oliver Savile, Diana Vickers, Liam Tamne, Suzie Mathers
- The Crazy Coqs, London
Having attended several performances of this production myself as an independent theatregoer (having been prompted to do so by the many 4-star (and considerably more thorough!) reviews elsewhere on the internet), I can testify that it never received less than an ecstatic reaction, with the audience each time (far from wanting to run away) clamouring for more. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but the final sentence of the above review is categorically untrue, as the enthusiastic audience reactions proved on each of my visits.