Theatre review of Forbidden Broadway at Menier Chocolate Factory
The celebrated Broadway spoof show Forbidden Broadway comes to London 's powerhouse the Menier Chocolate Factory with send-ups of The King And I and Billy Elliot alongside merciless takes on Andrew Lloyd Webber and the big shows
3 July 2009
Rating: 4/5
I'VE never seen rock 'n' roll musical Jersey Boys, but after its merciless shredding at the hands of the Menier's inspired cast, schadenfreude makes me wish I had.
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Hype as well as the relentless march of big-name shows are shafted with precision in this new production of the hit New York spoof sketch show, so short-lived hits like Spring Awakening get rollicking parodies alongside Phantom, Les Mis and Chicago.
But for a format that was refreshed yearly during its 27 years on (well, off) Broadway, there's a lot of tenuous linking to make this sometimes dated edition London-centric. Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang closed yonks ago and NY hit Legally Blonde, parodied in an ode to camp, doesn't even open here till December. Thankfully, its all hilarious.
The real London stuff is great: from the Albert Hall's cavernous The King and I, recast as a puppet show at Wembley, to Billy Elliott being force-fed oestrogen in Stephen Daldry's basement to delay puberty.
Less encyclopaedic musical fans may miss some jokes, but this waspish and wonderful take on Broadway is still a must for anyone who really loves theatre.
Forbidden Broadway , until 13 Sept, The Menier Chocolate Factory, 51-53 Southwark Street, SE1 1RU
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