Flo and Joan are somewhat of an Edinburgh Institution and this year I made it my mission to finally catch one of their shows. For a musical theatre fan I couldn’t have picked a better year. One Man Musical tells the story of the main man himself, Andrew Lloyd Webber, as he attempts to make it big after years in the wilderness searching for his next mega hit! Is the show a legal minefield? Yes. Do Flo & Joan always make sure that they stay the right side of the law? Also yes. So if you come expecting recreations of your favourite Andrew Lloyd Webber songs, I would say you might be disappointed but instead I think you’ll discover you’ve stumbled upon something even better.
We quickly establish that in a show about Andrew Lloyd Webber someone needs to play the Lord (ALW that is not god) but due to his litigious nature the only man prepared to take on the role is Lloyd Webber himself. He is played by Edward Easton who perfectly captures a caricatured version of him, making him oblivious, egotistical and eccentric in equal measures. Easton’s comic timing is impeccable and he throws himself into increasingly ridiculous situations with complete commitment. Vocally he also has the range to pull off the huge variety of Lloyd Webber style numbers.
We hear about Lloyd Webber’s family and schooling, his attempts to remind himself not to talk too much about his privilege because it is apparently frowned upon these days, and his spectacular failure to do so. We learn about his successful career, his wife Sarah 1, Sarah 2 and Sarah 3 – sorry, Madeleine. There is certainly an advantage to knowing your Cats from your Bad Cinderella and your Stephen Wards, with plenty of jokes aimed squarely at those who know their musical theatre history, but even those with only a passing knowledge of Lloyd Webber’s work will find plenty to enjoy. The writing is packed with one-liners, puns and increasingly ridiculous observations, and there were numerous occasions when I found myself laughing out loud. Other composers don’t escape unscathed either, with the green-eyed monster particularly visible whenever Lin-Manuel Miranda is mentioned.
What makes One Man Musical particularly enjoyable for musical theatre fans is the feeling that there is always another reference waiting around the corner. The more you know about Lloyd Webber, his shows and the wider musical theatre world, the more jokes you are likely to catch, but the writing never becomes so niche that those without an encyclopaedic knowledge of the West End are excluded. It strikes that difficult balance between being a show for musical theatre obsessives and simply being a very funny comedy.
Unlike some of their other shows, Flo & Joan aka Nicola and Rose Dempsey, remain mostly in the background here, accompanying Easton throughout. The music is also written by Flo & Joan and, fittingly for a show about Lloyd Webber, it is the lyrics rather than the melodies doing the heavy lifting. We get the occasional flash of a familiar Lloyd Webber refrain, but these aren’t songs designed to linger as standalone numbers; instead, the witty lyrics and relentless wordplay keep the comedy moving.
One Man Musical is show packed with gloriously silly musical theatre comedy, puns, one-liners and enough Lloyd Webber references to keep even the most dedicated stagey entertained. Edward Easton is an excellent comic centrepiece, whilst Flo & Joan’s writing ensures there is rarely a quiet moment. The songs may not be the kind you’ll find yourself humming afterwards, but with the lyrics doing the comedic heavy lifting, that feels almost beside the point. If you know your musical theatre and enjoy having its biggest names lovingly sent up, this is a very easy recommendation.
One Man Musical is on at The Pleasance from 16:50-18:00. You can find out more on their website here.
If you like this review you might also like my review of Bliss, The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth and Girlhood in The Bathroom.