![]() Delivering the iconic ‘Michael in the Bathroom’ the audience are gripped, pulled head first in to the characters torment at losing his best friend to a Japanese drug. Since the first run of Be More Chill, Blake Patrick Anderson has wowed audiences in online productions, including the Hope Mill Theatre’s Rent, but it’s as Michael Mell we see the breadth of talent on offer. (Keanu Reeve), played with wonderful menace by Stewart Clarke. Folan works well with the personification of his S.Q.U.I.P. No more so than in a simply outstanding performance from Scott Folan, who perfectly portrays teenage angst as Jeremy, with a hunched frame accentuating the character’s vulnerability and anxiety, while at the same time belting out unbelievably complex songs. #Be more chill musical skinUnder the direction of Stephen Brackett, this time round the cast seem more…well…chill, it feels like they have experimented more with their characters and really got inside the skin of them. ![]() The transfer to a such a large stage does could have made it feel lacking in places, but overall, it manages to retain much of the intimate feel it had at The Other Palace, while bursting with energy at every turn. It serves as a backdrop to a small cast, many of whom multi-role. This definition of a very modern musical has a set comprised of a large electronic screen, the initial graphics, which represent homes and the school hallways, are reminiscent of a Game Boy, later becoming more advanced to represent Jeremy’s altered mental state. Despite the wackiness of it all, Joe Tracz’s book makes it all feel entirely natural, and the audience can immediately accept the sci fi premise and focus on the intelligent and heart-warming story. Yes, it’s by no means a conventional musical story arc, but as we emerge from this prolonged period of isolation, perhaps it’s time to look beyond the conventional. Jeremy, and best friend Michael, are the outcasts who no one pays attention to, and while Michael accepts this, Jeremy desperately wants to climb the social ladder and find the courage to ask Christine to go out with him. The well-developed characters are high school seniors, attempting to fit in, be noticed, and tentatively take the first steps to adulthood. This is a musical that speaks directly to a younger demographic. Joe Iconis’ intoxicating score has attracted a dedicated following, and seeing Be More Chill again, I’m reminded why. The musical’s original outing in New Jersey was quickly followed by a cast recording, which received so many downloads, an off-Broadway and Broadway run soon followed. The original London cast returns for this version of the Broadway hit, based on the novel by Ned Vizzini. ![]() ![]() But as theatre reopens, so too does Be More Chill and at the West End’s Shaftesbury Theatre, albeit for a limited run. Of course, that was before its record breaking run was tragically cut short by the pandemic. When Be More Chill opened at The Other Palace in 2019, we suggested that, like its central character, the musical might be keen on an upgrade, with a transfer to a larger West End theatre almost assured by its growing fan base. ![]()
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