The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth is a new musical with a huge amount of promise. In the show we meet Sharon Hargreaves who out of her grief flows a newfound interest in conspiracy theories and in particular the idea that the Earth is flat. This particular conspiracy theory brings her to Vegas and a convention where a case of mistaken identity sparks a whole new journey for Sharon and both new and old friends.
The show’s concept, with the book by Alex Moneypenny is particularly interesting and focuses on how people can be sucked into internet rabbit holes and whilst this particular musical focuses on conspiracy theories it is an analogy that could certainly be applied more widely to things such as the manosphere or even radicalisation on an extreme level. The show never sets out to mock Sharon for believing the Earth is flat but, more interestingly, sets out to explores why. It looks at factors such as isolation and a lack of community can drive people to these corners of the internet, the algorithm and platforms such as Reddit and Discord are referenced in passing. Consequently the show is incredibly relevant but there are also age-old themes that transcends the contemporary setting, themes such as loneliness, friendship and belonging cut through to the heart of this story.
The tone of the show is brilliantly struck, there is a lot of comedy, especially when the characters of Bobby and Brodie are involved but equally there are heartfelt moments where Sharon is able to share her inner feelings with the audience. The show is also distinctly aware of its own limitations, at one point the audience is told in a tongue-in-cheek manner that this section would be developed if time allowed and equally at one point the Edinburgh Fringe budget is blamed for the not so subtle transition into a dream sequence. The tone and the messaging is well balanced, the messaging never overwhelms the entertainment.
The cast of 5 are talented across the board, with many of them required to play multiple roles. It was also a joy to see a new piece of musical theatre centred around a protagonist who was both female and slightly older. Sharon herself was played by Emma Norman who brought real vulnerability to the part. Her best friend Debs, or, as Sharon would call her a ‘Globe-tard,’ is played by Emma Thornett and she brought much of the comedy to the piece however Moneypenny made sure that the friendship between Sharon and Debs always remained as a focus and as such avoided Debs just becoming a comedy sidekick. Leonie Wall played two parts throughout the show, one of eager flat earther Brodie and the other, Angela, a big name in the flat earth world. The characters themselves were poles apart but Wall shone in both of them and was utterly watchable in both of these roles.
The music by Moneypenny and co-writer Adam Tuffey is infectious and ticks a huge number of boxes you’d hope for from a successful musical: upbeat numbers such as Doubters to Believers, hilarious numbers such as ‘Then I Realised’ as well as more introspective numbers such as On The Edge. When I discovered that some of the numbers were on Spotify, ‘Then I Realised’ quickly found its way onto my stagey playlist with its witty lyrics I couldn’t help but agree with!
The set was kept simple but effective with a map of the Earth making up the floor of the stage and then 5 blocks painted in greens, blues and whites transforming into everything from a convention stage to aeroplane seats. This helped ensure that the pace never dropped and was a versatile idea that also created useful levels and seating when needed. The sense of place was also enhanced by the simple but effective use of lighting to not only help enhance the mood but also create illusions such as a flickering TV.
The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth is exactly the kind of new musical that makes the fringe so exciting. It is funny, musically infectious and packed with ideas but underneath an outrageous premise is a genuinely thoughtful exploration of loneliness, belonging and why people can become drawn into increasingly extreme corners of the internet. The only thing that left me wanting more was the running time; a little extra space for some of the characters and relationships to develop cold take an already strong piece even further. This feels like a musical with a life well beyond Edinburgh.
The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth is on at Pleasance Dome from 14:05-15:05 each day. You can find out more and book tickets on the Pleasance website here.
If you like this review you might also like my review of Meet Mayor Max, Dystopia 26 and Bog Witch.