A laugh-out-loud love letter to theatre
At HOME Theatre, Manchester, it’s 534 BC, and there’s a drought in Ancient Greece which can only be solved by musical comedy. Sitting down before ‘Thespians’ begins, there’s an odd contrast between the beautiful design of the Ancient Greek pillars and the musicians sitting behind them in full view of the audience. With the enormous sign reading ‘Thespians’ hanging above the stage, it’s clear that the play is eager to lean into its obvious artificiality and cheesiness. Indeed, it does so with impressive confidence. Most of the puns land well, and the performances are full of energy. The ensemble and the range of characters played by the ‘Greek Chorus’ bring the world of ‘Thespians’ to life, making it incredibly full and vibrant. Rhys Taylor is delightfully camp, and Curtis Patrick and James Spence are always great to watch.
The way the colour of the set and the lights combine is beautiful. The purples, oranges, and blues create a cohesive colour palette throughout, which works really well to tie the aesthetic of ‘Thespians’ together. The gag props, like a sign for ‘human sacrifices this way’, are always amusing. Some jokes could have been more developed, with ‘Thespians’ relying on its high density of jokes rather than any particularly elaborate setups. That said, one joke about drama classes might just be one of the best in any play, ever..
The music could be more developed and varied, especially in the first half, with all but the piano not being used to their full potential. It’s a real shame, especially as the other instruments sound great when they are more prominent, instead of just adding texture to the driving keyboard rhythms. But all the songs sound good, and when, in the second half, there is some greater musical variety. ‘Thespians’ goes up yet another notch. Mia Jerome has an absolutely incredible voice, and it’s good that she gets a chance to shine.
The characterisation could be subtler, but the archetypes do work, and their subversion through the character of Adonis is funny. The way the different storylines interact with each other is elegantly done. When the second half leans more into the sincerity of the characters’ emotions and their storylines all begin to pay off, ‘Thespians’ works even better. It’s clear that Jonathan Sayer and Ed Zanders can balance comedy and seriousness in their sleep, and it would have been nice to see even more of that all the way through.
Like ZAZ’s ‘Airplane!’ or Terry Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’ novels, it’s a great demonstration of how the best comedies both wrap around an honest emotional core and really delve into a concept with love. This couldn’t have been done by someone that didn’t seriously engage with the world it places itself in, and the audience is really rewarded by that effort. ‘Thespians’ is fun, funny, and full of great performances. Above all else, it’s a love letter to the power of theatre.
‘Thespians’ continues its run at HOME, Manchester, until the 18th July. Tickets here.