Webber! at Bosco Theatre, Isle of Wight Review [Ventnor Fringe]
Written by Eleanor for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s life, as you’ve never seen it before, guided by Margaret Thatcher with one mission: to become “filthy rich and fking useless.”
Written and performed by Grant Sharkey as Webber, alongside Isle of Wight local Laura Clare Reid as Thatcher, this hour-long musical retelling of Webber’s autobiography follows his journey through life, using original songs to chart his quest to become an aristocrat.
The audience is warned from the outset that this isn’t a particularly flattering portrayal of Webber, and that die-hard fans may want to steer clear. That’s swiftly followed by another warning: expect plenty of swearing throughout.
The set is wonderfully simple, centred around a blue curtained archway emblazoned with “WEBBER”, which doubles as a space for quick costume changes and prop storage. It feels perfectly suited to the Bosco Theatre, with its circus-style tent and tiered seating wrapped around the stage, keeping the audience close to the action.
The show races through the defining moments of Webber’s career, from deciding he can’t come up with any original ideas, to meeting Tim Rice (played by a puppet), and pitching musicals about trains with faces and cats with faces. We all know where those ideas ended up.
A sharp satire from start to finish, the audience laughed constantly, partly because it was genuinely hilarious and partly because some of the jokes were so outrageous they caught everyone off guard. I absolutely loved it, although if you’re easily offended, this might be one to skip.
Despite being completely original, Sharkey’s songs are incredibly catchy, and you’ll almost certainly find yourself humming them long after you’ve left, still chuckling about the wonderfully absurd take on one of musical theatre’s biggest names
Webber! played at the Bosco Theatre on 21 July. It will be performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 17-22 August at theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall.
★ ★ ★ ★
