Review: STRANGER SINGS, Southwark Playhouse Borough
Let’s take a trip back to the 1980s! Hawkins, Indiana to be specific where nothing bad ever happens…until it does, of course.
Stranger Sings turns the popular Netflix series Stranger Things upside down. The show has done an excellent job condensing the first season into just 100 minutes. Fans of the show will know the plot but for any newbies out there, here’s a quick rundown. When 12-year-old Will Byers vanishes, his friends Mike, Lucas and Dustin decide to go looking for him in the woods where they meet escaped patient Jane, better known as ‘Eleven’. But in a town with a secret government facility, the friends, Will’s mom Joyce and local policeman Hopper all quickly discover that this mystery isn’t quite as it seems.
Written by Jonathan Hogue, Stranger Sings is packed with pop culture references spanning from the eighties to present day. These references are cleverly weaved throughout the script and songs, and it is great fun to spend the show playing musical and movie bingo. Stranger Sings is a nostalgic love letter that really captures the elements that have made the Netflix show so successful. This musical parody is absolutely hilarious but also full of heart.
However, the show is not afraid to ridicule some of the less believable and perhaps silly elements of the TV series, and the cast are definitely onboard with these endeavours. Verity Power as the high-strung Joyce performs an amazing ode to the classic characters of Winona Ryder and perfectly captures the physicality of the quirky star. Philippa Leadbetter, who is making her professional debut, delivers a sensational showstopping performance and ensures Barb finally gets the audience attention she deserves. Anna Amelia looks freakily like Millie Bobby Brown but offers her gorgeous vocals to the roles of Eleven, Nancy and Robin. This incredibly talented cast feels big and small at the same time. Multi-roling is prevalent and it is a shame each character doesn’t get individual attention during the curtain call. For example, Jessie Jae Davis is fabulous as the faceless dancing Demogorgon but takes her bow as Lucas.
The incredibly detailed set has been brilliantly designed by Justin Williams. The venue is also surprisingly festive as it is decorated with red and green string lights, which are - of course - inspired by Joyce’s house in the show. However, there is one design, or is it ‘casting’ choice, which is puzzling. If you are a fan of The Muppets, you will probably not bat an eyelid but for the rest of us, it feels bizarre that Will is played by a puppet and performs a song in the style of Kermit the Frog. The overtness of this cultural reference jars with the rest of the show and clashes with the subtle silliness that otherwise is so successful.
A hilarious sci fi spoof, Stranger Sings is the perfect show to see if you fancy something alternative this festive season.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Sophie Luck
Stranger Sings plays at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 6 January 2024, with further information here.