By now, the whole of the UK is aware of the tragic miscarriage of justice that was the Post Office scandal, where more than 900 sub postmasters were wrongly convicted of theft, fraud, and false accounting, ruining their reputations and livelihoods in the process.
This unbelievable story became more widely known after ITV broadcast the TV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Now, we have a musical take on the scandal in the form of Pentabus and New Perspectives’ Make Good: The Post Office Scandal, written and composed by Jeanie O’Hare and Jim Fortune.
There’s a real community feel to the style of storytelling, which fits the source material nicely. We’re introduced to the show by Ed Gaughan, acting as a narrator and host in an engaging fourth wall-breaking monologue before seamlessly transitioning into his role as Mr Bates, as well as a few other characters throughout the piece. He’s got charm in abundance and sprinkles in some jokes while addressing the audience, which serves to offer some light relief in a piece that is thematically heavy.
Gaughan is a pro at working the crowd, which engages us with the material immediately, although a moment of audience participation where we are asked to sing along with the chorus of one of the songs doesn’t entirely work, with it not always being clear when we need to start and stop singing.
But Gaughan’s Bates isn’t at the centre of this story. Instead, the tragedies of 900 wronged subpostmasters are interpreted and retold through the three main characters Elsie (Victoria Brazier), Indira (Charlotte Delima), and Mohandas (Samuel Gosrani). This strong trio of performers add the emotional weight to this production, bringing us closer to the human heart of the story and making us deeply empathise with those affected by this grave injustice.
The music is simple but emotionally effective, bolstered by sumptuous instrumentation from musicians Ed Hicks and Roman Elliott, with Gaughan sometimes joining in on guitar too. Delima’s performance of Act Two number ‘Shame’ is especially moving, as her character reveals the deep shame she feels after being wrongfully accused and having her life totally ruined. Brazier and Gosrani get plenty of chances to shine too, and the trio’s vocals blend together beautifully while they also juggle a number of other characters each through some great accent work.
The staging is really well executed: Carla Goodman’s stage design of a small post office is realistic and grounds the story in truth, Jenny Roxburgh punctuates the emotional beats through the lighting design, and Dan Balfour’s sound design adds extra gravitas and dramatic flair. Director Elle While makes great use of the space, and a central moving set piece effectively acts as a post office counter, courtroom dock, and more.
A final special touch is the addition of a local community choir on stage to perform the closing song with the cast, which really sums up what this show is about: the enduring power of connection and the human spirit in the face of unthinkable tragedy. Make Good: The Post Office Scandal is informative, moving, and a moving tribute to the hundreds of people affected by this mammoth wrongdoing.
Reviewer: Olivia Cox
Reviewed: 8th November 2024
North West End UK Rating: