Review: HELP! WE ARE STILL ALIVE, Seven Dials Playhouse
Photo credit: Danny Kaan
When given the chance to watch a developing musical, we at West End Best Friend are always excited. It's an opportunity to see something that no one else has seen; the spark of an idea ready to build an audience for itself after months, sometimes years of writing, refining and rehearsing. The newly rebranded Seven Dials Playhouse is truly a welcoming home for such projects especially that of Help! We Are Still Alive.
This new musical fills a gap in the market we never knew existed (for a one act, post-apocalyptic, two performer, queer romantic comedy) but having now seen the show, it just works. Everything about it from the atmosphere in the venue, the intimate performance space to the self-aware nature of the material, all comes together to create something genuinely enjoyable as an evening's entertainment.
One of the best aspects of this show is its book by Imogen Palmer. The show is acutely aware of its audience, allowing for extremely specific comedy that delighted our audience immensely. Palmer has created something that is delightfully unique and memorable - a large scale end-of-the-world story told in a 12ft by 12ft space. No easy task, but proven possible by Palmer's creativity. It's light hearted and doesn't take itself too seriously. As lovely as this all is though, the show rarely allows itself to get too genuine and whenever sincere emotion does come up, it is quickly undercut with a joke which can lessen the impact of the moment and reduce the range of the material. Perhaps it does fit with the characters, who acknowledge that they use humour to deal with their very awful situation. We just feel that the performance deserves that extra layer and could delve a little deeper beneath the surface.
The premise is such: after a non-specified natural disaster ("Academics are calling it, the Apocalypse"), Jass (Jade Johnson) and Finn (Elijah Ferreira) are seemingly the last two people alive. We follow their experience, as documented via battery operated recording devices, learning to adapt to this new life all while dealing with their own relationship.
Both performers lead the show equally with excellent momentum; they are engaging to watch and have superb chemistry. The comedic timing and abilities of both Johnson and Ferreira are fantastic, we were all laughing consistently. Not a beat is missed.
The songs in the show are also lovely and while a defining sound is yet to be established for the piece, each song works and fits really well into the story and does well to drive the narrative. ‘The Pineapple Song’ being a heart-warming standout. And yes, there is a song titled ‘Bedminster Asda’ and if that alone doesn't convey the tone of this show, we don't know what will.
It's a strange concept, we'll admit, but what you've been promised, you shall most definitely receive. An 80-minute quirky comedy that proves even though the planet may be dead, human connection is not.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Callum Wallace
Help! We Are Still Alive plays at the Seven Dials Playhouse until 15 October, with tickets available here.
