A spectacle about legacy and individuality.
Diving into the life of a frankly deplorable but fabulous aristocrat Henry Cyril Paget, this short musical sets out to be obvious in its condemnation of queer erasure throughout history. Regrettably, in an attempt to establish Henry as nuanced and eccentric, the result is a frenzied parade of a deeply unlikable, highly privileged person who—in the pursuit of individualism—bankrupt his family and denied those around a quality of life within the scope of both his ability and means to provide.
Although cleverly written, this piece is more of a pantomime in its over the top nature with its demonstrative and self-aware narrative structure. This is a musical in marketing only as it exists currently without a memorable score but an excellent script. The redeeming characteristics for this production were the live musicians and energy they brought into the central narrative. There were moments of true fun and enjoyment when the entire cast were working through ensemble numbers with excellent physical comedy. Additionally, the costumes and set were eye-catching and fun and more in line with a show in residence instead of on a fringe stage.
Unfortunately, this show was not a permanent fixture, and, in an attempt at drowning out the sounds of the festival, the resulting audio quality was too loud to be safe for audience or performers alike. This, paired with the copious amount of haze resulted in an attempt at immersion that resulted in an overstimulating, overpowered fever dream of a production.
This piece left more questions than answers, despite their declaration to be obvious. Who is this piece for? The casual fringe theatre goer may likely find this piece overwhelming and inaccessible. Regardless, if you attend, be prepared with ear protection. The show is likely to improve through its run as the team settles into their run, but for a show so highly praised in the past, it did not live up to its fabulous hype.
How to Win Against History is on nightly from 19:15 at the Underbelly – Udderbelly venue and lasts an hour and a half.