A horrendous sound mix – it was too loud and distorting – ruined what could have been one of the best shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. More is the pity, because the star of the piece is clever, highly creative, funny and musically dexetrous, and the fix would have been so damn easy. The person behind the sound desk needs a severe talking to. It was an assault on my ears, which are still ringing.
The 75-minute parody concerns the life of English musical maestro and impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber, as played in manic fashion by George Foreacres. It is all about exaggeration and self-congratulations. Foreacres assumes the role of Lloyd Webber, with a mighty high opinion of himself. He takes to the stage with a surfeit of colourful costumes on a clothes rack behind him, along with his backing band, being musical comedy duo and writers Flo & Joan.
His props include a toy theatre, toy piano and a toy Siamese cat, the latter at the foot of a padded chair, positioned centre stage. He sings, dances, pouts and pontificates, relishing the fact that this is a show about him (Andrew Lloyd Webber). With witty lyrics and narrative, and umpteen local references (to Melbourne), he talks about his privileged upbringing, his eccentric family and a pet monkey named Mimi.
He acknowledges that he was considered a most unusual boy, weird even, who absorbed himself in a world of make believe. Foreacres maintains a breakneck speed throughout. Words and song tumble out of him as the ALW tale unfolds. Marriage to his first, “underage” wife is grist to the mill. Then comes a second to his muse Sarah Brightman … and a third.
Lloyd Webber has composed more than 20 musicals and Foreacres works his way through many of them. That includes the former’s initial failure and then his success collaborating with Tim Rice (which Foreacres describes as his “ticket to stardom”). Think Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (for which Foreacres dons a multicoloured ensemble), Jesus Christ Superstar (add a crown) and Evita.
Costume changes are another fun part of the act. Foreacres milks – through music and sound effects – Cats, before rolling out Starlight Express and highlighting the masterpiece The Phantom of the Opera. Sunset Boulevard and School of Rock also get a look in. Thereafter, a quick wrap up is followed by a dressing down from a disparate voice (think the Phantom of the Opera), pointing to Lloyd Webber’s subsequent failures.
With the words “you can’t escape the truth” ringing in his ears, Foreacres – as Lloyd Webber – talks about an incident with a frozen pork chop, being a turning point. He covets the success of a more contemporary musical Adonis, whose name he simply can’t seem to pronounce correctly (purposely mangles). Funny stuff, indeed.
Lloyd Webber envisions still more success, which results in a frenzied mishmash, a helter skelter workshopping of outrageous, over-the-top and inane ideas. He kids himself that he has “still got it”, before a worthy grand finale, with super cheap effects and a golden, parachute gown. I should mention that audience interaction is part of Foreacres’ shtick.
One of the high points of the offering – a hilarious, deliberately wordy and detailed monologue – comes after he asks a person in the front row their name. Foreacres is most amusing and entertaining throughout. He can shift mood and change tune, literally and figuratively, at will. That is an art form in and of itself.
So much is thrown into the show that it keeps the crowd with its ears peeled, lest we miss a zinger (of which there is no shortage). But for the appalling audio, I would have enjoyed and appreciated One Man Musical even more. I admire its conceit, even if I felt it could readily have been cut back to a neat one hour. One Man Musical is playing at Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne, as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, until 20th April, 2025.
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- A Bond Among Us (The Butterfly Club) – theatre review
- Michael Shafar – Lots to Say (Melbourne International Comedy Festival) – standup review
- Gillian Cosgriff: Fresh New Worries (Arts Centre Melbourne) – theatre review
Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
