ED2015 2/5 Reviews ED2015 Musical Reviews

The Final Act (RopeWalk Productions)

By Jon Stapley | Published on Wednesday 19 August 2015

It’s always a shame to see a truly wonderful cast working with sub-par material. RopeWalk Productions have amassed a charismatic, talented set of actors and singers for this musical about writing a musical, but the script does them no justice at all. The president of a university theatre society is tasked with putting on a sell-out musical to save the theatre from closure, and from there things unfold with few surprises. The set-up feels as though it’s primed to deliver a parody of musicals, but that isn’t what we get – most of the tropes are played straight. The songs are peppy but don’t stick, and the ending comes as an abrupt anti-climax, leaving unresolved plot lines flapping in the wind.

theSpace on Niddry St, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Jon Stapley]