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American high-school musical, Zanna, Don't! |
Feelgood flavour of gay old ‘tweenie’ tale
ZANNA, DON'T!
Upstairs at the Gatehouse
YOU can’t have an American school musical without a moral message.
Whether it’s Hairspray tackling racism or High School Musical teaching tweenies to be true to themselves, it’s all about equality beneath those chirpy tunes, spontaneous dance routines and ballads of adolescent angst.
Off-Broadway hit Zanna, Don’t! doesn’t mess with this formula, but adds a twist. In this world, it’s not just OK to be gay, it’s the norm.
Love blossoms at Heartsville High as boy meets boy and girl meets girl, with a little help from matchmaker Zanna (Mike Shearer) and his magic wand.
Stereotypes get inverted as jock Steve (Michael Cotton) admires chess champ Mike (Michael Stacey), creating a tender twosome. Bonnie Hurst, as feisty, booty-shaking Roberta, displays a soulful tone and comic flair, while Kate Malyon, as confused girlfriend Kate, is a likeable blend of anxiety and fragility.
Shearer’s cherubic looks lend him an aptly Puck-like quality, but some of his lyrics get lost – a shame as he sets the scene for this new-to-London work.
While the songs are melodic but forgettable, there are some wonderfully bizarre dance numbers from the ensemble, including a chorus line of girls performing choreographed, mechanical bull riding on leather-topped space hoppers.
It’s all surprisingly family-friendly. This bright bunch wouldn’t seem out of place alongside Zac Efron et al and there’s only the slightest hint of innuendo when Zanna’s wandering wand betrays his true feelings.
A sudden switch to a heterosexual world means the moral message gets rather heavy-handed, but the enthusiastic cast carry the production through to its upbeat ending.
There’s a gay old time to be had here and I left with its feel-good message of tolerance ringing in my ears, even if the lengthy running time had me mounting a campaign for audience members’ rights too.
Until July 5
020 8340 3488 |
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