Julie Yamanee, Luke Harley, Jessi O'Donnell, and Sev Keoshgerian in I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical at King’s Head Theatre. Credit Geraint Lewis.Throughout the whimsical 75-minute set, Bermange maintains control of proceedings from his position at the piano, expertly accompanying the troupe of 4 performers (Luke Harley, Jessi O’Donnell, Julie Yammanee and Sev Keoshgerian) as they whizz through a set of songs, each of which casts a spotlight on instantly recognisable elements of the musical theatre world.
Performed on Sorcha Corcoran’s simple set, where a large glitzy star takes centre stage, supported by a coat rack on one side and a rail of gaudy coloured costumes on the other, the songs come thick and fast, ensuring the pace never drops. The performers each have solo songs and participate in duets and company numbers, delivering them with enthusiasm and gusto. Most of the song lyrics are sufficiently tight to sell the ideas adequately themselves without the need for overplaying and a little astute reining-in (in a small venue) may be necessary by Matthew Parker the show’s director/choreographer, to ensure some scenes don’t become overly busy.
Tropes abound: Anorak musicals fans, under-the-radar fans, and sweet-rustling fans, all receive the Bermange treatment, together with the diva-ish antics of leading ladies and mismatched onstage love scenes played amidst halitosis and a disturbing lack of natural chemistry.
On a miserably wet and overcast London summer evening, if you’re a fan of the musical genre (go on, admit it!) you could do a lot worse than indulge in a little light-hearted levity and whimsical foolishness. It’s really quite infectious and as the cast point out, Shakespeare himself wrote Romeo and Juliet after having attended an early performance of West Side Story, and commendations rarely come higher than that!
