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Edinburgh Fringe Review: I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical ✭✭✭✭✭


Review by Anne Mackie

I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical is an hour long revue, exploring the tumultuous world of musical theatre written by Alexander S. Bermange.

The side-splitting series of comedy patter songs exposes the trials and tribulations of actors in the Performing Arts industry - from the naïve drama school graduates to the past-it chorus members, unbearable brattish divas, resentful ‘never-has-beens’ and the eternal ‘waiting in the wings’ standbys. The audience are treated to witty anecdotes, revelations and confessions that uncover the reality of awful auditions, debilitating dance routines, mid-performance mishaps, and backstage backstabbing, whilst also paying homage to those (often rare) moments of magic that make the creative industry worthwhile. Whether you’re an aspiring professional, accomplished artiste or a keen amateur, this cabaret of comedic musical theatre gold is laugh-out-loud-relatable on so many levels.

Fronted by a cast of four West End performers, whose credits span from Les Misérables to Mamma Mia and 42nd Street, the collective delivery of the piece is outstanding – vocally pitch perfect with comic timing nailed to a T. The opening number, suitably titled ‘The Opening Number’ kicks the show off superbly and sets the tone for what is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable hours I’ve had in the Fringe so far.

Performers, James Hume, Felix Mosse, Charlotte O’Rourke and Charlotte Anne Steen are individually brilliant in their own right, expertly supported on keys by the composer and Musical Director himself, Alexander S. Bermange. There is an amusingly endearing onstage connection between the actor and the MD which further enhances with the overall flow and energy of the piece. Similarly, Chris Whittaker’s direction and choreography is simple yet effective – stripped back to allow the actors’ vocals and physical comedy to remain the central focus.

With other productions, there are ‘showstopping’ moments worth documenting but, I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical is showstopping in itself from start to finish. It would be unjust to pick out one number that ‘steals’ the show because, frankly, every song is exquisitely delivered, melodically appealing and hilariously engaging - an absolute ‘LOLfest’, if ever there was one!

 Get down to the Dairy Room at the Underbelly, Bristo Square until 26 August 2019. You won’t “Wish Your Life Were Like A Musical” – you’ll wish this particular show didn’t have to end!

 A Backstagepass Fringe must-see! For tickets and information book directly on the Edinburgh Fringe website.

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