Ushers! The front of House Musical- The Other Palace

The idea of a “Front of House Musical”, bringing the audience along the rocky road of the box office and ushering life, is both ambitious and exciting. Despite a very solid effort from a cast with undeniable chemistry, Ushers! The Front of House Musical fails to meet the expectations of the funny and joyful show it sets.

The lovely L-shaped studio room of The Other Palace, where actual ushers and actors in the show mingle and excitedly chat, was alive with anticipation before the start of the first welcome number. As the story dives into the working lives and dreams of a team of ushers in a big West-End theatre, most of whom are working actors fresh out of school or with a few years of disappointments and hopes behind them, the caricatural characters fail to elicit the laughter most of the – fairly on the nose – jokes seem to expect.

Perhaps my reaction is due to a level of irony that I have missed and therefore not fully enjoyed, however, the subtlest comments, puns and quips that often poke fun at the crazy industry we evolve in hover around for longer than needed, leaving a sense of Max Reynold‘ direction lacking tempo.

On top of this, the audio volume of some of the spoken word and song makes us miss part of the dialogue and even some truly touching and strong vocals from Daniel Page as a rambunctious manager and Bethany Amber Perrins’s fangirling quirky usher fail to elevate the rest of the production.

The Musical Theatre puns that lead the story do manage to spark joy and find a solid rhythm after a while; the over-the-top adaptation of “Money Money” into the profit-obsessed manager’s “Spend per Head” also has me smiling warmly. Ultimately, however, the show’s pace, choreography, and lyrics just fail to harmonize as one might hope.

For tickets and more information on Ushers! The Front of House Musical, click here.