Why Would We Care? at Union Theatre Review
Written by Joe for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Entering the cosy Union Theatre, the sparse set suggests a world somewhere between Victorian England and a Founding Father’s Homestead. A large portrait adorns the back wall, with a large wooden plaque above stating “Speak Say Preach Pray”. Intense red lights shine directly at the audience, illuminating the seating and creating a feeling of interrogation and inspection.
As the show begins – with music, lyrics and book by John-Michael Mahoney – we see a sombre funeral, with a young cast of eight mourning the town’s mayor in Victorian-esque dress. And then they launch into the first number. It’s clear to see that Mahoney is inspired by SIX and Spring Awakening – fusing historical storytelling with an upbeat modern score. The problem with Why Would We Care? is that there doesn’t seem to be the same musical maturity as either of its influences. Mid-funeral, our chorus launches into a bouncy pop song Best Town Ever which wouldn’t have felt out of place on an early noughties show like S Club or All-Stars. The intended juxtaposition of music and setting feels disjointed rather than intentionally anachronistic. As the numbers go on, it feels as though some songs have the bones of excellent musical storytelling – The Chance and If These Walls Had Ears – but would benefit from stripping right back to enable the songs to carry their emotion without needing a pop beat to carry them along. Both Taylor Quinnell and Camile Reid sing the songs beautifully – I only wish they had the space to really own the full emotion and depth of the songs.
Mahoney’s story is inventive, and twists and developments come thick and fast, but it’s sometimes hard to work out who is who. We meet Clara (Alex Webster) and Arthur (Houston McDowell) together, and they quickly have a private exchange for the audience’s benefit. A couple of scenes later, Clara sings about her husband dying – and it was only when Arthur returns to the stage that I realised he was not Clara’s (dead) husband. The story itself is intriguing and fresh, and I would be interested to see a version which pares back the story to its bones and really leans into the psychosis of the town.
James Connor’s direction and Alice Carlile’s choreography feel confident, but don’t necessarily speak to each other, but I think this is due to Connor and Carlile’s efforts to create fusion between the book and music. There is a lack of dynamism in the staging of some numbers, and more storytelling could have come through with intentional placed staging of cast members while they are providing supporting vocals, rather than bringing them into a straight line to sing to the audience expressionless.
The cast work well together, with particularly strong vocals from Riain Cash, Camile Reid and Taylor Quinnell. Houston McDowall brings gentle sincerity to Arthur, and Gaby Coleman’s scheming matriarch Marion is a force to be reckoned with.
With some dramaturgy and considered streamlining, this show feels like it would sit well alongside the NYMT’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow or 2017’s Whisper House as a spooky, twisting small-scale musical. But sadly it’s not quite there yet.
Why Would We Care? plays at Union Theatre in London until 31st January 2026.
★★
