Back to the Theatre is a wacky remix of an 80s musical, replete with iconic characters, feather boas, and a whole lot of pizazz. This year’s Medics’ Musical — written entirely by fifth-year medical students — is a tongue-in-cheek, metatheatrical take on an actual medics’ musical. With all proceeds going to the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, the musical raised over £5,500 in support of their work and their “Child First, Patient Second” mission.
After Jamie (Lily-Rose Allix) is kidnapped in the middle of a Medics’ Musical rehearsal by two incompetent henchmen who somehow mistake her for an elephant, the ‘good gang’ (a take on the typical Scooby Doo-esque mystery solvers) must follow clues, band together, and save the day.
The dialogue felt well-balanced, eliciting laughter even from those of us in the audience who are not medical students. Rife were the witty puns that emphasised the ‘medic’ part of the Medics’ Musical, as were well-established cultural references, such as Ted’s constant offerings of KitKats, Weetabix, and Snickers to various members of the gang, claiming they must be hungrier than after having spent an hour in the anatomy lab.
Even when the musical numbers were not completely polished, they only added to the endearing personability of student theatre. The creative mashups of the songs included features from Mulan, Tangled, and Annie, as well as many other well-known and beloved musicals. The eclectic mix of music, backed expertly by the show’s dedicated band, made for a good parallel to the heists, training montages, and confrontations of the show.
Two standouts of the actors would have to be Kathleen Davie as The Villain and Gerda Dlugabarskaite as the obsessive, dramatic, yet lovable Director. Davie stole the show with her powerful and sonorous performance of ‘Pretty Little Dead Things.’ Alex Jolly and Riona Lee’s choreography elevated the performance even further, the Villain’s taxidermied animals moving dynamically within the space, even when relegated (as dead things often are), to the floor.
When considering the amount of pressure on fifth-year medical students, the amount of time and love clearly put into the show is truly commendable, shown through how the first performance included a reunion with the cast of the 1985 musical in the audience. Even the names of the characters have a significant historical precedent, referencing pioneering Edinburgh medics that the cast look up to. Cici Jin and Theodora Kontaxi’s set and prop design make for a beautifully crafted show and adding the final touch to the already vibrant musical.
Whether a fifth-year medic or not, this show would make anybody leap on stage and join the wonderful community of performers that make up their team.
Photo by Janie Buist, provided as press material.