EdFringe Review: Nerds: The Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs Comedy Musical

‘Nerds: The Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs Comedy Musical’, scored by Hal Goldberg, with words & lyrics by Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner, premiered in 2007. It is a crying shame it has taken quite so long to make it to Edinburgh. What an utterly sensational production.

Making a comedy musical about the long rivalry between Microsoft chief, Bill Gates, and Apple’s guru, Steve Jobs, could be parody hell, mired in tired jokes and punchlines aimed at low-hanging fruit. Instead, we get a superbly funny reimagining of history, populated by larger-than-life caricatures of real people, plus a few conveniently invented extras.

It all kicks off at the legendary Homebrew Club in California, at the dawn of the 1980s, where computer ‘nerds’ from around the country have gathered to show off their inventions. Vying for first place, you guessed it, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. The latter has a microcomputer that plays Beethoven; Jobs has a computer with a screen. Outmatched and embarrassed, Gates sets out on a quest for global domination, whilst Jobs must overcome triumph and disaster to claim his place as the globe’s pre-eminent tech-prophet.

Dig too deeply into the actual history of the two men, and a good deal of the plot would evaporate. However, the tale Allen-Dutton and Weiner weaves is just so much fun, laden with ridiculous nostalgia, big-hearted, and never-ever boring. Sure, both leading men have love interests invented for them, and one-time rival, and IBM CEO, Thomas J. Watson Jr., certainly didn’t go off the rails and develop a crack habit, but you can forgive such egregious invention when the results are so deliciously entertaining.

“It is a crying shame it has take quite so long to make it to Edinburgh. What an utterly sensational production.“

However, a musical ultimately succeeds (or not) based on its score, and in this respect, ‘Nerds: The Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs Comedy Musical’ exceeds itself. Goldberg indulges the 80s with a liberal application of chiming synth piano, energetic guitar, and peppy drums, from the opening spectacular ‘Let’s Get Started’ through to the joyful end.

Kane Oliver Parry (Steve Jobs), Dan Buckley (Bill Gates) are both outstanding. Parry pitches his hippy, ‘cool’ nerd just right, with lashings of egotism and prophet-like zeal. Buckley takes Gates on a supervillain origin ride with glee. Both find the funny in their roles and excel when it’s time to sing.

Buckley nails ‘I’m Just a Nerd’, the show’s overweening anthem, with impassioned delivery and soaring vocals. Elsewhere, Parry lets loose with ‘Macintosh’, complete with call & response vocals, and a pulsing beat a la Kenny Loggins. Kudos are also due to Elise Zavou (Sally), and Teleri Hughes (Myrtle), Jobs’ and Gates’ respective love interests. Both make the most of their invented parts, and combine gorgeously for the plaintive, ‘Who wrote this crazy code of love?’.

Before you ask, yes, both Steve Wozniak (Ethan Pascal Peters) and Paul Allen (Elliott Evans) – Apple and Microsoft’s co-founders, respectively – feature in the story, though they are deliberately sidelined for comic effect and to streamline the story. Both performers put in wholehearted turns and make the most of their time on stage, nevertheless.

In danger of stealing the scene at any given time, there’s also Curtis Patrick’s universal support character, Dustin/Henchman. He has no right to be that funny with so few lines – but he is!

When the entire cast unites with Music Director Chris Duffy (behind the scenes) to deliver the big numbers, it’s just superb. Bravo to Chris and whoever else is dealing with the sound design for making the most of the show’s excellent, memorable songbook. Bravo to Director Nick Winston for getting the most from every moment through a mix of clever blocking, energetic choreography, and above all, pace.

There’s much more to ‘Nerds’ than I could, or should, pack into a review. Not only would it spoil many of the show’s surprises, but it would make this a total bore to read. Suffice it to say, from the clever riffs on startup chimes, to Gates continually making unfortunate double-entendres when talking to ‘Jobs’, to the ridiculously OTT finale and ultimate redemption, it’s a great, great show.

Don’t just take my word for it either. After the standing ovation the show got when I stopped by, all I heard in the crowd leaving were sentences such as ‘I had doubts, but that is just so, so good…’, or ‘that was just fantastic, everything about it.’ I couldn’t agree more.