(5 / 5)
I’m coming right out the bat and making a bold statement: this might be one of, if not THE, best thing I have seen at Fringe this year.
Another statement: musicals do not tend to be my thing. There are only really specific ones that catch my attention and that likely does not mean much in terms of the real greatness of them. However, when they do catch my attention, I think of them as very special – How To Win Against History is bar far one of these.
Based on the true story of Henry Cyril Paget, an aristocrat partially erased from history, this company take on this in a musical, camp and spectacular way. They tell the story of Paget, his frivolous spending of his money and tragic demise. While the narrative sounds pretty deep, this musical blends perfectly the mixture of fun and humour with heart string pulling.
This production is already fully fledged – set in the main venue at Underbelly, it already has the spectacular expanse with a full band, glittering staging and lights, and a bum on every seat. While the audience is huge, all the performers manage to make a connection with every single one of us; we feel included, safe and part of the show. The characters are very likeable, with Paget particularly being extremely personable. And there are no small parts here; from the main character to the drummer or trombone player, they are all 100% engaged with the action, reacting and being involved every step of the way. This is a true and equal ensemble.
The production is wholly camp and fabulous; engaging with the concept of gender roles and flexibility with this, we are dazzled by sparkling and beautiful coloured outfits, once again, being all things already west end stage professional. And the performers themselves are so much fun and humorous – there isn’t one part (well, apart from the darker points of the story) when we are not giggling or laughing out loud, from purposeful jokes and slapstick, to the subtle changes in facial expressions or engagement, everything is so perfectly done.
And finally, the music is wonderful and catchy – so beautifully performed, the voices and music are completely on point, ringing out across the expanse of the space and so easily could be the start of an album or a cult musical theatre following.
How To Win Against History is absolute perfection. It is not only a barrel of laughs, but so perfectly created and executed that it’s a wonder that it isn’t already the next big thing on the West End Stage.
