THEATRE REVIEW: ‘But I’m A Cheerleader – The Musical’ (2022)

 

THEATRE REVIEW: ‘But I’m A Cheerleader – The Musical’ (2022)

Book and Lyrics by Bill Augustin

Music by Andrew Abrams

Based on the 1999 Lionsgate Motion Picture

A musical that does not fit in either ‘Forgotten Musicals’ or ‘British Musicals’, being a new American Musical, based on the 1999 film ‘But I’m A Cheerleader’, starring Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, Cathy Moriarty and RuPaul, which has become iconic in the LGBT+ community.

History

Bill Augustin (Book and Lyrics) and Andrew Abrams (Music) met at the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop in New York. It was here that they developed ‘Cheerleader’, a workshop production which went on to become part of the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop and NY Musical Theatre Festival. It was then presented (still in workshop form) at MTFestUK at the Turbine Theatre London in 2019  [I attended 2020 MTFestUK where I saw a workshop of the first act of ‘Soapdish – The Musical’, a Stiles & Drewe musical based on the film]. The world premiere as a fully staged musical was in February 2022, again at the Turbine Theatre (just next to Battersea Power Station).

 

Story

Megan, an all-American cheerleader seems to have the perfect life, and being seventeen is ‘swell’. That is until she finds out her friends and family suspect her of being a lesbian and send her packing to ‘True Directions’, a rehabilitation camp to set her straight. It is at this camp, under the strict tutelage of headmistress Mary Brown that Megan meets Graham, a sexy tomboy who shows her exactly what her ‘true direction’ is.

 

In A Nutshell

Is being straight really the only thing that’s ‘great’ ?

Is the world only pink and blue, or can Megan see ‘new colours’ ?

 

Production

Making the mistake of walking from the new Battersea Power Station Underground station, I reached the Turbine Theatre closer to curtain-up than I would have liked. My seat was halfway back, on an aisle, and so I had an excellent view. I was watching the last preview performance before press night.

I was pleased that the cast included several performers that I had seen and enjoyed before – Jodie Jacobs (Crow in ‘Bananaman – The Musical'), Jodie Steele (Heather Chandler in ‘Heathers’), and Alice Croft (Lori Craven in 2020’s ‘Soapdish’). The cast were in the main, playing at least two parts, save Alice Croft and Evie Rose Lane who were playing leads Megan & Graham, and Tiffany Graves playing Mary Brown. I particularly enjoyed Jodie Jacobs and Oliver Brooks doubling as Megan’s parents and Larry & Lloyd (the gay couple who help Megan see ‘new colours’). However, clearly working hardest was Jodie Steele who had the quickest changes between Kimberly (Megan’s fellow cheerleader) and Hilary (a campmate) with one having to take place on-stage.

The songs were a good mixture of styles, including cheers, ballads and even some sung by a trio of drag queens. The staging was simple but all the better for it. The script was very funny, and excellent acted by the entire cast. The relationship between the two leads was excellent, and the happy ending which set the film apart from the queer narratives that had preceded it, meant that I left the theatre on a high.   

Very highly recommended.

 

‘But I’m A Cheerleader’ runs at the Turbine Theatre, London, until 16^th April 2022.

 

Favourite Song

It has to be the final song of Act One, ‘Seeing New Colours’, as Megan struggles to deal with her new feelings.

 

 

Links

Production website

 

Sherlockian Sojourns #29: ‘I Took A Cab Out To Kingston (and Richmond)’

It was time for another sojourn, closer to home. Catching a bus from home to Kingston Hospital, I set off up Kingston Hill, and eventually reached George Road. Passing Coombe Wood Golf Club, I finally reached Holy Cross Preparatory School, which was identified by David Hammer as Vernon Lodge, the former residence of Baron Adelbert Gruner, who hypnotised Violet de Merville into a relationship with him in ‘The Illustrious Client’.

“The beautiful house and grounds indicated that Baron Gruner was, as Sir James had said, a man of considerable wealth. A long winding drive, with banks of rare shrubs on either side, opened out into a great gravelled square adorned with statues. The place had been built by a South African gold king in the days of the great boom, and the long, low house with the turrets at the corners, though an architectural nightmare, was imposing in its size and solidity”.   [ILLU]

 

Retracing my steps and passing the hospital again, I continued on until I reached Norbiton Station, where I caught a train to St. Margarets Station. Turning left out of the station, I passed Twickenham Film Studios where part of ‘Enola Holmes’ was filmed.

 

Continuing for another ten minutes through a variety of side streets, I finally found myself at a riverside footpath (Ducks Walk), beside which was located ‘The Elms’, which was used as the home of medium Robert Lees in ‘Murder By Decree’. Holmes and Watson initially visit him here, then Holmes returns disguised as a chimney sweep. This building is also thought to be one of the inspirations for Appledore Towers, home of Charles Augustus Milverton (along with a building visited in a previous sojourn).

 

Photos taken, and I followed the Thames for a short distance, before climbing the steps up to Twickenham Bridge, crossing the river. A short distance away was Old Palace Lane, from where I looked back to the underside of the bridge where a scene featuring Inspector Foxborough (David Hemmings) and Robert Lees (Donald Sutherland) was filmed for ‘Murder By Decree’.

      

Walking up the lane, I enjoyed an audio tour created by the Museum of Richmond, voiced by Bamber Gascoigne, who had died a few weeks before.  (Click here for more details)   This informed me that the bridge used in ‘MBD’ was built in 1848, and along with its brick-built viaduct is Grade II listed. It also spoke about the former Richmond Palace which gives the lane its name, and an existing terrace of late Victorian buildings originally called Cedar Gardens which were built in 1896 by a speculative builder.

 

Reaching Richmond Green, I made my way along one side, and onto the Old Deer Park, where after around a ten-fifteen minute walk, I found myself at Richmond Athletic Ground, home ground of Richmond Rugby Club. It was here that Watson was ‘thrown over the ropes’ by his friend, Robert Ferguson (‘the finest three-quarter Richmond ever had’), when Watson was playing rugby for Blackheath, referred to in ‘The Sussex Vampire’.

““Hullo, Watson,” said Ferguson, and his voice was still deep and hearty. “You don’t look quite the man you did when I threw you over the ropes into the crowd at the Old Deer Park. I expect I have changed a bit also. But it’s this last day or two that has aged me’.”  [SUSS]

 

Making my way back to central Richmond (passing the newly opened Kingston/ Richmond/Hounslow Probation Office), I wasted some time in the local shops, before grabbing a bite to eat.

It was then time for my evening’s entertainment, a theatrical adaptation of the Peter James book ‘Looking Good Dead’, starring Adam Woodyatt and his on-screen ‘Eastenders’ wife (one of six marriages to five women) Laurie Brett, at Richmond Theatre. Mr. Woodyatt came out before the play started to explain that half the cast was off with Covid, and so the actor playing Roy Grace, the main detective, was doing so without rehearsal and with the script in hand. However, he managed to be reasonably ‘off book’ only referring to the script for the jargon-parts, which worked as him consulting medical and other reports.

Show finished, I went round to the stage door, as Adam’s first credit was one of the titular ‘Baker Street Boys’ in the 1980’s BBC children’s drama, and having met one of the other boys after a previous sojourn, I was keen to add to my count. (Coincidentally 'LGD' also involved scarabs). However, when Adam came out, he was wearing a mask, and hat pulled down well over his face. Understandably, he was not willing to risk the production by catching something himself, so was saying no to autographs and photos.  (This didn’t stop some of the people waiting from taking selfies with him in the background, despite almost all of Adam’s face being covered, making him completely unrecognisable).

I therefore stowed my programme in my bag and making my way back to Richmond Station, I was just in time for a train and just over an hour later I was safely home.