Anastasia Miari reviews a wonderfully acted musical with a rather laughable story from that other guy from Busted.
A bursting bricolage of high school movie clichés, Loserville is one to take the kids to. Written by James Bourne, an ex- member of early noughties pop band Busted, this zany musical echoes the band’s roots. Catchy lyrics that tell tales of teenage anguish are the soundtrack to the action. Infectious like the flu, these tunes will haunt the rest of your evening, well into the next day. Whether this is a good or bad thing depends on your stance when it comes to cheesy pop punk. The lyrics are simple and almost childlike. This is no musical accomplishment but at least the kids can sing along.
Set in 1970s America on the brink of the digital age, Loserville follows Michael Dork and his peers, on their quest to send the first ever electronic message. Borrowing from various high school movies -Grease, She’s All That, Mean Girls (to name a few) - this musical is a melange of story lines, neatly slotted into writer Michael Raphael’s theme of technological advancement. The aptly named Dork tries to get the girl, the dashing jock comes in and attempts to ruin all his progress, the good guys come out on top in the end. Paper thin, the plot is predictable and easy to follow.
However, what this production lacks in plot, story and intelligence, it makes up for in the quality of the performers. A strong cast of young actors, singers and dancers are Loserville’s back-bone. Consistent in their efforts and strong in their technical abilities, the performers do their best with what’s given to them. Cheesy lines are delivered with gusto, no dance move is thrown away half-heartedly and every note is hit. In spite of the tetchy script and clichéd storyline, these performers are still able to make their characters believable. Most notable is Eliza Hope Bennet as one of the lead geeks, Holly. Subtle and poised, Bennet endears us to Holly without adhering to tired archetypes, which some of the cast fall prey to.
Dynamic, flashy and visually stimulating, the set design by Francis O’Connor is another show-stealer. A Tron-like set resembles the motherboard of the digital age while oversized notepads and pencils used by dancers to create backdrops for scenes is a nice nod to a time before computers. It’s clever and simple - something writers Michael Raphael and James Bourne should take note of. 
Loserville runs at Garrick Theatre until 2nd March 2013
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