A heartfelt and whimsical journey of an aspiring songwriter as he navigates the humdrum of London and the rocky road of fame, George Oates’ original musical Pop is an inspiring and delightfully funny ode to anyone who has dared to dream just a bit more wildly.
With only a microphone stand filling the stage, the lack of a set or lavish props immediately creates a gig-like feel, as if the audience has stumbled upon an open-mic night in a bar or coffee shop. Lead actor Jake Thomas takes the stage, only confirming this atmosphere – he chats and contemplates with the audience as if chatting to a crowd during his setlist. It is an intimate and conversational atmosphere that continues throughout the night, which Thomas uses to let the audience in on his character’s innermost emotions, his anxieties over his ability to make it in the industry, and how he navigates being in the limelight.
The four chorus members are dynamic and effervescent, embodying different quirks as they switch from friends to posh Londoner coffee shop customers, to rival talent show performers. Although it takes a while to register the character changes, the cast riffs off one another with electric energy. Emma Mitchell’s powerhouse voice shines through on multiple occasions, which all the more adds to the crowd’s amusement when her vocals are comically cut off. Jonah O’Sullivan’s chaotic unpredictability and impeccable comedic timing wins the audience, even when, much to their surprise, he picks on specific audience members to interact with.
The songs are catchy and vibrant; we flit between upbeat synth-pop and Pitch Perfect-esque gems, to soulful ballads and even hip-hop crowd-pleasers. The unsuspecting audience becomes a target for the characters now in a singing competition, asked to contribute to a call-and-response riff off (we were warned about audience participation, the chorus reminds us). While at the start it seems a baffling choice, the Wednesday night crowd more than happily obliges. The show’s epilogue however is strikingly rushed, an inconsequential end to a musical where not much happens. This results in the energy of the performers having to make up for a hazy and ambiguous finale.
With a very minimal set of props and a bare stage, what carries the performance is the cast’s tangible chemistry — there is no question as to whether they are having the time of their lives. Sketch-like physical comedy accompanied by silly lampshades over heads, or a ridiculously farcical attempt to hide behind a plant, means we never quite know what to predict.
A lyrical, dynamic and hopeful story, Pop is a love letter to the dreamers of the world.
POP is running until 9th August at 10pm at The Space Triplex. Buy tickets here.
Image provided by Chevron Theatre to The Student as press.