Theatre Review Spraywatch
‘Spraywatch’ is a new musical that is hard to pigeonhole. It has a lively score with a strong 1980’s musical feel, being in a large part inspired a certain 1980’s American TV show whilst being a satire of both Northern English attitudes and isolated English coastal communities. The show is a comedy but it has something to say and can at times be quite biting.
Spray is an English coastal town which has seen better days and the premise is that a glamorous beach lifeguard call Pam based in Santa Monica, California receiving an unlikely request to fly across the pond to Spray, who were apparently in need of a lifeguard. Accepting this invitation as a personal challenge, Pam quickly discovered that life in England was not what she expecting and her initial interactions with the locals were less than harmonious but she was harbouring a dark secret that could jeopardize her employment. What followed was an exploration of the life and characters in a faded seaside town coupled with some cynical observations of Americans.
A wide range of musical genres were employed throughout the performance, fun catchy arrangements being the bread and butter of the musical from start to finish, allowing the cast to really show off a wide range of different vocal production techniques from upbeat dance numbers to your more typical west end style ballads. The singing was quite evenly spread across the cast of six and a fast, consistent pace ensured that the singing and dialogue seamlessly blended into each other, aided by tight direction by writer Hywel Evans.
A standout performance was Kit Rodgers as Fred, having very clear diction, being easy to understand and his voice really projected, whilst being versatile in terms of the different styles he could sing. Izabella Web as Pam, The Lifeguard was also really good, making great use of West End/Broadway delivery with singing reminiscent a lot of the style used in musicals like Hairspray and Wicked. However, this was very much an ensemble piece with lots of great technique and very entertaining styles delivered in an amusing and jovial fashion. The varied styles of singing showcased each of the individual vocalists’ talents. Every member of the cast had their own unique style but as a cohesive unit they really came together, frequently providing backing harmonies for each other’s songs.
The set was essentially one long beach windbreak but it set the scene and simple but effective use of props made great use of the venue, the limited space forcing the production to come up with a unique use of bench chairs to denote the locations in the various scenes.
There were many genuinely laugh out funny moments, well delivered and punctuated by some often very strong language reminiscent of the comedy often associated with Northern England. The use of swearing did have a minor effect on the tone of the performance but in general was used to good effect portraying the Northen locale in an accurate manner. The show had its darker moments and at times the picture painted of a Northern seaside town was quite grim but never to the point of being depressing. You found yourself rooting for the various characters and overall message was one of hope.
‘Spraywatch’ developed an unlikely and unusual premise into a vehicle for the audience to engage with some very quirky characters in challenging scenarios and managed to avoid pulling any punches whist ultimately being a genuinely feel-good show, comparable in that regard to ‘The full Monty’. A varied and catchy musical score helped ensure that the pace never slowed and this is a musical which is likely to appeal even if you don’t like musicals! An imaginative and vibrant new show performed with gusto and energy which will both amuse and give pause for thought.
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