Are our schooldays really the best of our lives, or are they a kind of hell? And is ‘kidulthood’, that space between being a child and being an adult, all that easy to navigate?
Mark Tunstall, who writes, directs, and stars as a kind of Fagin/circus master type of ‘Narrata’, started developing this project as a book of poems, a set of “cautionary tales for adults”. With the input of Lulu Chen and others, the poems became songs for this musical, which is now receiving its stage premiere at three venues across London.
We are considering the age of thirteen, the start of the teenage years, in the group of children depicted. They are all played by adults, with Tunstall’s character as the only actual ‘grown-up’ on stage. Although there is a promise of a cohesive story, the songs really are stand-alone pieces, ranging across different eras and types from music hall to rock ‘n’ roll, emo to heavy metal.
Characterisations are overly broad. Hairy Harry has long hair (but seems to have the ability to make it shorter). Greasy Gary is a stranger to the shower. Quiet Thomas is a violent bully. No Name Jones has no name, literally. Celia is a bad girl forced to be that way through circumstance and foster care. Little Short Sally isn’t very tall. Johnny can only fix his hair in an Elvis quiff. Joe Smiley is non-verbal and grins all the time. Moel is obsessed with rocket men superheroes. And Tiffany has come over from America.
It’s hard to pinpoint a place and time. I assumed England in the 1990s, but it was unclear whether these were school friends or just disparate types of ‘kidults’. The songs often outstayed their welcome and didn’t advance the plot in any way, as there really wasn’t one.
Opening and closing with a lollipop lady who may be looking back at her own life, the musical seems to push the message that we are who we are, and we shouldn’t change, but it takes two hours plus interval to get there. Some of the cast double as members of the band, who are situated (Chen’s piano excepted) on a raised platform at the back of the stage.
The Bridewell Theatre stage is a large space to fill, and although Lisa Nixon and Michelene Aiton’s choreography does offer some ensemble numbers, the direction often leaves dead space or awkward entrances and exits. The role of Narrata doesn’t have a clear purpose, and an aside late in the show seems to be more Tunstall himself rather than a character comment.
A few of the performers stand out for their personalities and vocal ability. Annie Hayes’s Celia, Hazel Park’s Sally, Alexandra Cook’s Gary, Tiffany Lovegrove’s Tiffany, Kelly Townsend’s No Name. Some moments are perplexing, though, as one actor steps out of character to tell us she will be playing someone else in a sequence, which may have been obvious simply by a new wig or change of costume.
Are we watching a show within a show? It’s likely, as some (but not all) of the actors are wearing horror make-up and look ghoulish, but I’m not sure. There’s resilience to bullies, group mentality, gang bonding (with a gay theme), thieving, arson, and romance.
None of it really sticks even if some of it is recognisable from our own puberty and growth. As for the song lyrics, they often have forced rhymes which would be perfectly OK in a collection of comic verse, but which grate on the ear here.
There were also significant sound problems with microphones cutting out or feeding back, which needs to be addressed before this is ready to move on to its next stage. In all honesty, this show doesn’t feel quite finished in its current form, although I appreciate the cast and crew have worked hard on it.
Kidults is at Bridewell Theatre to 26th October, Courtyard Theatre from 29th October to 2nd November, and 229 London from 4th to 6th November. KIDULTS! The Musical
Reviewer: Louise Penn
Reviewed: 22nd October 2024
North West End UK Rating: