Oscar at the Crown, London Review
Photo by Luke Dyson.
Written by Annie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
After much anticipation, a highly successful run off-Broadway and at the fringe, Oscar at the Crown has officially arrived in London. Taking over a custom-built space just up the road from the West End, we couldn’t wait to see what the show had in store for new and loyal audiences.
A wonderfully weird mash-up of Oscar Wilde, the Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque music, and the Real Housewives of OC - the show transports you into an immersive dystopian world, under the world we all know. The immersive experience takes you into the mad world of survivors of the world above, and into the fantasies and idolised world of one of history’s greatest queer icons - Oscar Wilde.
The custom-built space is a magnificent addition to the London scene and a great benefit for the ever-growing popularity of immersive theatre. Located just outside of the West End, the space is the perfect setting for this underground dystopian world. Decked out in Y2K TVs and posters, as soon as you step through the door, you’re whisked into a world away from central London. (spoiler note: the disco ball-clad toilets are a particular highlight).
Led by the writer of the show, Mark Mauriello as Oscar, the cast takes you on a high-energy dance party. Mauriello is an electrifying performer - full of talent, charisma and energy, they lead with full conviction and mega vocals. Zak Marx, who plays Oscar’s love interest Bosie, gives a powerful performance on arguably the most memorable track of the show, ‘Not Here’.
Elizabeth Chalmers gives an award-worthy performance of ‘Glimmer of Light’ - truly show-stopping, and a beautiful juxtaposition to the show’s dance party energy. Led by Livs Needham’s wonderful musical direction, the songs never miss a beat and deliver the high energy intended by Mauriello’s score.
The world of Oscar at the Crown is brought to life by Andrew Barret Cox’s mesmerising costumes and impressive choreography. It is more than evident that this is a project of total passion and labour of love by both Barret Cox and Mauriello. Not a single detail is spared, and from start to end, the finish of everything is flawless.
Unfortunately, there were significant sound issues throughout the show, which was a shame. Many lines were lost, which made the script slightly difficult to follow, and some songs sounded slightly imbalanced, which made the lyrics tricky to understand at times. Hopefully, as the show is still in previews, this is a work in progress job, and also mindful that this is not a fully fledged West End budget, so it’s unfair to hold this against the show’s potential. The book seemed slightly confusing at times, but again, this is perhaps down to the sounding issues and the grandeur of the space it is aiming to utilise.
Overall, Oscar at the Crown is a thrilling show that is exactly the type of potential we want to see emerging into the London scene, and it’s always so exciting to see fringe shows appear down in the capital. I’m so excited to see where this show is heading, and encourage anyone to grab a ticket to experience this show, which truly is like no other!
★★★.5
