Composing a musical can be tricky. The skill is creating a believable plot so that when one of the characters suddenly bursts into song it does not come as a surprise but to be expected. Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper’s effervescent musical He Shoots! He Scores! does precisely that. This fun-filled and at times innuendo driven sexy romp set in the world of five-a-side football is very good. With lines of dialogue such as “Straight Boys don’t douche,” the script is witty, fabulously sarcastic and hilarious. The cast of eight very talented actors are clearly loving doing this show with special mentions going to Jamie Barwood as Joe and Duncan Burt as Tayzr who both have very well executed solos in the show and Burt in particular has a flair for farce. The compositions and structure of the songs and the way they are placed in the running order of the show adds to the magic of this production and puts the show in a league of its own. Andrew Cannon playing two roles of Dom and Matthias, Tom Mann as Liam, Harry Cooper-Miller as Pete, Danny Couto as Will, Richard Watkins as Charlie and finally Joey Goodwin playing a trio of parts – Frazer, Jase and Marcus – all bring energy and a very acute sense of masculinity. They prove a point that is made in the show that gay men can play football and that believing in yourself will pay dividends; much more you might even find the man of your dreams on the pitch. Above the Stag have another hit on their hands and rightly so. Gay themed musical theatre at its best. A cheeky and cheerful spherical study in male camaraderie.
****
He Shoots! He Scores! is now playing at the Above The Stag Theatre. Tickets from abovethestag.com
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