Having heard a lot about Gigglemug, the producers of Scouts on the musical theatre grapevine I was excited to finally get an opportunity to check out their work. Scouts tells of the annual Scouting Games where individual’s Scouting skills are put to the test. However not all Scouts are as honourable as they may appear and one individual turns up determine to seek her revenge and put the good name of the Scouts on the line whilst doing so.

The book itself by Sam Cochrane isn’t going to win awards for script writing and it throws up a lot of plot holes and a lack of character depth along the way however by the end of the show the charm of it all and the sheer fun element means that none of this really matters. This show is at its best when jokes are bandied around and the audience are coerced into joining in. The fun element does mean that whilst some of the plot lines may have very important life lessons and morals they fail to elicit much emotion, instead I’m keen for their next silly song! The show itself is almost a love letter to the Scouts, this is by no means a criticism and as a result it is a show that those that are currently in the Scouts or have fond memories of it would enjoy!

Almost as fun as the jokes was the casts ability to play numerous instruments, we saw cast members jump from drums, to guitar to keys within the same number without batting an eyelid and half the time with some dance moves thrown in for good measure. Every single cast member at one point throughout the show played an instrument and totalled in excess of 10 instruments between them all but their versatility ensured that this was never a hinderance to the storyline but in fact added to it. The music by David Fallon, whilst not particularly catchy was varied and served well to enhance the fun on stage and all of the songs did well to either drive the story or make the audience laugh! The style of music, whilst rooted in musical theatre was also varied enough to keep the interest of the audience and in fact even ensured audience participation at moments.

Whilst I can single out some individuals in the cast it must be said that due to the nature of the show this is an ensemble piece first and foremost with most of the cast getting a similar amount of stage time. They worked brilliantly together – playing instruments during others solos, providing comedic dance routines or taking their moment in the spotlight. The energy that they hit the stage with was also joyful and very much needed when the majority of them were playing children.

Eleanor Fransch played Eliza, a character who at the beginning of the show would stop at nothing to win but by the end had realised the importance of friendship and the true meaning of the Scouts. Fransch was utterly watchable whenever she was on stage with her steely, yet childlike determination showing through.

Katie Pritchard as Rosie was another joy to watch, her original innocence contrasted nicely with her under Charlotte’s spell. Kemi Clarke played one of the few adults of the piece as Scout Leader Dylan who displayed his own vulnerability just as nicely as the younger Scouts in the piece. Emily Kitchingham was the villain of the piece as Charlotte as she was a riot to watch – clearly having a ball with the character, and a baddie that was fun to watch rather than one to fear.

Part of Scouts! The Musical charm is that it is thoroughly family friendly and has something to appeal to all the family, without having to make smutty jokes to appeal to the older audience members, instead it wins over all ages with its wit and honest humour.

Scouts is on Upstairs at the Gatehouse until 22nd June and it then continues its tour. You can find out more on their website.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Operation Mincemeat, Back to the Future and The Choir of Man.