Eurobeat at the Novello Theatre

Eurobeat at the Novello Theatre

03 October, 2008
by: ChloeM

Even for those who don't like Eurovision, or musicals, there is something intriguing about Eurobeat. This top-selling show got rave reviews at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe, and more recently put on a fabulous one-off performance at this year's Pride London. The camp spectacular finally hits the West End this month at the Novello Theatre.

Eurobeat completely sends up Eurovision, and at the same time produces something that is so much better. This show is funny, camp, witty, crude, hysterical, cheesy and ridiculous in equal measures. It encapsulates everything that is good and bad about Eurovision, and presents it in an entirely original format.

Via Terry Wogan's spot-on video link intro, we are transported to Sarajevo to watch ten of Europe's best entrants competing for Eurobeat stardom. With badges, flags, horns and clappers, and a randomly assigned country to support, every member of the audience gets involved. The audience are rowdy and ready to go, and need little encouragement from our eccentric presenters. Les Denis plays Sergie, and Mel Giedroyc (from The Mel and Sue Show) is Boyka. A proclamation that 'France are not taking part, because they're rubbish!' signals that tongue is frimly in cheek.

Each song is a painfully accurate if somewhat caricatured portrayal of its country. The show doesn't feel like it is taking cheap shots, because the performances of each song are so well executed that they are instantly lovable. How can something be too cheesy when it is a mocking homage to cheesiness itself?

Endless crude, camp humour is subtly (and not so subtly) incorporated, especially for team Poland's lead singer, Jerker. His dancers 'come out' on stage in business suits, throwing tremendous energy into their dancing, miming, and facial expressions. They proceed to strip down to the sparkliest, most revealing leotards ever seen on a West End stage, all the while using their brief cases as dance props.

This number alone makes Eurobeat worthwhile, and the songs get more and more ridiculous and hysterical as the show goes on. Ireland's shakily drunk singer is painful to watch, while Iceland's Bjork-like performance is actually quite scary. Germany's show is reassuringly nonsensical techno, inspiring Boyka to shout 'aciiiiiiiiiiid!'. The UK's white trash 'chavs' and Russia's 'KGBoys' band are also quite close to the bone. Greece's entrant incorporates the ancient Greeks, philosophers, and gods into her song, along with some rather provocative pole dancing.

It's impossible not to get carried away: members of the audience root for their favourite country, cheer, scream, and finally text in their votes. There's a typically tense count and final score, and since the votes are real, the results are different every night. Many members of the audience seem to have already seen Eurobeat several times, and with the presenters and performers forced to improvise at some points, it's clear that every show is full of surprises.

The attention to detail and lunacy in the performances, and the real interaction with the audience, means Eurobeat will go down as one of the best musicals in recent years. It may even get people watching Eurovision again.

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ChloeM