Review: [title of show] (Phoenix Arts Club)

Review by Daz Gale

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A rarely seen musical makes its way to London for the briefest of runs as [title of show] takes over the Phoenix Arts Club for 4 performances. For anyone unfamiliar with it, the title of the show really is [title of show] –self-referencing and extremely meta, think of it as the musical theatre answer to ’Inception’ and you get the idea. But is this a show that could make it all the way to Broad… well, the West End? Or is it one show that should have [insert witty/cringeworthy pun here]?

First seen in September 2004 at New York City’s Musical Theatre Festival, [title of show] enjoyed a run off-Broadway in 2006 and finally made it to Broadway in 2008. Since then, it has been revived for international productions, receiving its UK premiere in 2013. The last time UK audiences saw it was a filmed production that was streamed during the dark and uncertain days of November 2020, but this extremely limited-run production from Taylor Jay marks a rare London appearance, perhaps testing the waters for demand or satisfying the needs of those musical theatre lovers like myself who love nothing more than a good reference.

The concept of [title of show] (and bear with me here) sees Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell attempt to write a new musical called… [title of show]. Still with me? Essentially, it is a musical about a pair of writers making a musical about a pair of writers making a musical. As we follow the creation of the initially untitled show, the action mirrors the real-life events that saw the show's conception up until its eventual Broadway run.

With its tongue firmly in its cheek and a glint in its eye, [title of show] doesn’t take itself too seriously, instead poking fun at the various tropes you find in musicals while commenting on some of the less desirable aspects of the industry. This is all done with a hint of fun, never taking itself too seriously, and this is part of its appeal. While the writing may not be the strongest in the world, it is the fun factor that elevates the piece, allowing audiences to effortlessly buy into the situation and immerse themselves in the real-time conception of the musical they are watching unfold in front of them.

Hunter Bell’s book does feature a great hit rate for jokes with no shame in how niche some of the theatre references are. While Jeff Bowen’s music and lyrics aren’t always the most memorable of songs, they have a certain charm to them, with the endless listing of musicals in ‘Monkeys and Playbills’ a delight, and ‘Die, Vampire, Die!’ blood-suckingly catchy. While the mundanity of ‘Filling Out The Form’ is played for laughs and the rapid medleys of the festival and off-Broadway run are meant to be slightly nonsensical, at times it does itself a disservice by not applying more to the narrative of the songs. That said, it doesn’t stop them being highly enjoyable… even if I wouldn’t be able to sing one back to you if you paid me.

With just four chairs and a piano, the setup of [title of show] is simple yet effective, with Taylor Jay’s direction bringing the most out of the highly talented performers and even bringing a good use of live filming to the mix (Jamie Lloyd, eat your heart out). With Ben Ward’s expert musical direction and personification of “Larry”, both elevate the piece and mitigate the underutilised potential in the writing.

It is the cast that truly brings [title of show] to another level, with George Crawford shining as Hunter, showing no shortage of charisma in a playful performance, beautifully showcasing his immeasurable talents. Making his professional debut, Owen Arkrow thrilled as Jeff in a role he was covering, displaying stunning chemistry with Crawford and exhibiting enormous stage presence. It was hard to believe this was his professional debut and left me with no doubt he is one to watch in the future.

While Hunter and Jeff form the bulk of the story (literally), they also employ two secondary characters, played by Abbie Budden and Mary Moore as Heidi and Susan. A fantastic double act, they each get to showcase their talents with comic timing as well as sensational vocal abilities, ensuring a consistent cast of phenomenal talents.

[title of show] may not be a show that is seen too often, particularly in the UK, but it fills a gap in the musical theatre market, appealing to those aficionados who could recite facts about musical theatre for hours on end (Guilty as charged). Reviving rarely-seen shows seems to be what Taylor Jay Productions is aiming to do lately, and with production value as strong as this, it leaves me very excited to see what they do in the future. With a strikingly strong cast and full of fun, [title of show] was a welcome and glittering addition to London’s theatre scene – let’s hope it’s not the last we see of it and they can get a transfer soon.

[title of show] played at Phoenix Arts Club on 2nd and 3rd July. Head to https://www.taylorjayproductions.com/ for information on their next productions You And I and Spring Awakening.

Photos by Danny Kaan