a topical satirical musical comedy with unintentional hilarity
If ever there was a place for topical musicals about recent events, it’s the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, so of course, here from the US, there’s a sell-out musical about Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of a health insurance CEO in December 2024.
Luigi (played by Matthew Solomon), finds himself in federal prison, alongside his new cell-mates – ex-FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (played by Andre Margatini), and bedazzled Diddy (played by Janeé Lucas), and prison guard Sargeant DeLarosa (played by Caleb Zeringue), where they forge unexpected relationships and plan an escape.
There’s no need to be too acquainted with Mangione, Bankman-Fried or Diddy, as they are explained in song (but of course!). Accompanied by Shannia Fu on keyboard, the cast get a chance to show off their vocal talents individually, which is positive, as they weren’t always the most harmonious together. The songs are short and snappy, and some of them are surprisingly catchy. Sam’s “Bay Area Baby” is still a peppy little ear-worm as I write this, and Luigi’s finale is over-the-top campy fun, for a myriad of reasons.
There are laughs to be found – some definitely came out of surprise and probably more are unintentional rather than intentional, but there is some comedy here. Whilst it’s satirical, and pretty fun, the plot and the script are a bit thin. There is a kernel of genuine heart, especially when the Sergeant and Luigi bond over healthcare, but this is counteracted by some distasteful lines, especially from Diddy – the repeated malapropism of ‘autism’ vs ‘altruism’ made me particularly wince, which could be excused as being part of the character but felt cheap.
This was the first night in this venue, and naturally there were some tech issues with mics misbehaving, flubbed lines and missed cues, and not helped by the previous show over-running. The seating in the venue is a bit awkward too – if you’re not in the first couple of rows, you can only see the actors from waist height, but it’s broadly fine.
The wide spectrum shows of the Fringe means that sometimes it’s fun just to see something ridiculous and set your expectations accordingly. You might find yourself laughing at the wrong time, and bewildered at others, yes. However, it can’t be denied that the songs are catchy, the cast look like they’re having a blast, and there’s a general gung-ho spirit to the whole thing, which is very Fringe.
“Luigi the Musical” runs to 23 August, at 19:55 at Just the Tonic @ Legends. Tickets can be bought from: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/luigi-the-musical