[Title of Show] is a journey through musical theatre in the most meta way possible. Within the show Jeff and Hunter decide that they want to write a musical to enter it into a festival. Of course the writers of [Title Of Show] are also called Jeff Bowen (Music and Lyrics) and Hunter Bell (Book) and the show follows them on their real life journey of writing a musical, with the help of their friends Susan and Heidi, taking the show off Broadway and ending with the Broadway opening. The show even talks about its own reviews from both Broadway World and the New York Times and uses voicemails that the pair actually got.

The musical contains a huge amount of musical theatre references, and in fact one whole song ‘Monkeys and Playbills’ is dedicated to using old musical theatre titles to create a whole new song. The references range from niche through to more mainstream but the underlying theme is you will need to be a theatre fan to enjoy this show, the more Broadway history you know- the better!

The book by Bell is clever and when the characters on stage start to observe that if they speak that what they say will end up in the show, say that they are using a fake addresses for privacy and observe that the reason they have been quiet is that they haven’t had any lines until that point shows just how meta this musical is. It does sometimes give make me wonder when it was going to end, and if I was about to watch the cast walk onto stage at Southwark Playhouse both in the show and in reality.

The show avoids feeling self congratulatory and not only charts its success but the low points as well, the arguments, the reality of auditioning and more and this makes it that bit more rateable. The scenes are often more like vignettes than the action flowing from one scene into another but this doesn’t matter as it ensures just the most relevant parts of the shows journey is depicted.

Musically the show is enjoyable although many of the numbers merge into one. The main exception to this is the number ‘Nine People’s Favourite Things’ which rounds the show off nicely and left me humming it on my way out of the theatre and the following day. Secondary Characters is also a fun number where Susan and Heidi get to let rip, commenting on the action so far.

Direction by Christopher D Clegg is kept simple with the set made up of a platform across the back of the stage where ‘Larry’ aka Tom Chippendale the Musical Director and pianist is sat throughout the show and then 4 raised planforms , each with a chair on. The show is performed in the thrust and by keeping the staging simple it allows the audience to focus on the performances and believe that this is a show that can work on any scale- from a new writing festival through to Broadway.

The cast in this production are consistently brilliant. Jacob Fowler and Thomas Oxley play Hunter and Jeff respectively and do a brilliant job of capturing their idiosyncrasies, neurosis and their friendship. Their sheer energy they carry throughout the show, barely leaving the stage helps make this pairing incredibly likeable as you root for them to succeed. Abbie Budden and Mary Moore play Heidi and Susan. Budden embodies a theatre kid at heart, which probably doesn’t take a huge stretch for her to reach but it is wonderful to see her play that part on stage with such a clear amount of joy. Moore as Susan is the groups ‘muggle’ working a 9 to 5 job and constantly mentioning it but with her comedy timing she threatens to steal the show at some points.

[Title of Show] is more than for the fans, it is for the fanatics. A niche but enjoyable look into bringing a show to life enhanced by a strong cast and simple yet effective staging.

[Title of Show] is on until 30th November 2024 at Southwark Playhouse. You can buy tickets or find out more on their website.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Cruel Intentions, Why Am I So Single and Mean Girls.