I went to see the first showing of The Musical around this time last year, when Ashley and Chris performed it at Newcastle Arts Centre. It went on to have a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe and the two lads were performing it for the last time before it bit the dust for good.
A colleague from work had agreed to come and see it with me, and at the last moment Rosie, Michael, Emily and her boyfriend Ryan also came along.
Ashley and Chris wrote all the songs for the show, which are really very good. They're also both excellent performers, truly not minding making complete fools of themselves. The show, which is funny and enjoyable, centres round two lads who find themselves trapped in their own show and have to act out all the scenes before they can escape the "curse".
Both performances that I've watched have had a good sized audience, and the Newcastle Arts Centre is a pleasant place to watch a show, fairly laid back and allowing you to sit at a table with drinks while watching a performance. Ashley told me that the show had matured and undergone the odd revision since its run at Edinburgh, and certainly I found it a very professional performance, perhaps more finely tuned than first time round, although that was also excellent.
Everybody I took to see The Musical came away surprised at just how much they'd enjoyed it, saying it was a lot better than they'd expected, and very funny. If the show ever did make another appearance, I could happily sit through it again!
25th March 2005
