Naima Khan is left bummed out after an hour and a half in the hopeless world of Forever in Your Debt.
After a tour and much Theatreland chatter about its intriguing synopsis, Forever In Your Debt made it into a healthy number of 'ones to watch' type lists (including mine) in late February. On paper it sounds like a bizarre musical comedy with great potential for wit. A family of musicians consumed by debt teeter on the edge of one of London's tallest buildings, prepared to face their end while a madcap cleaner who's slightly in love with the dilapidating construction tries to coax them back from the edge through the medium of song: “better a song than a scream,” apparently.
The concept was inspired by footage of a demolition that reveals a woman who could have been the building's cleaner singing and dancing to the demolition lights. Some of the best comedies of late have had some pretty dull summaries so as far as synopses go, Forever In Your Debt's is not half bad. Sadly it only serves to make the disappointment that much more gutting.
It turns out to be an unsuccessful exploration of the abstract noun 'debt', struggling to convey the importance of what we owe to each other as well as to the banks. The gaggle of oddball characters are denied the necessary dialogue that would make them easier to relate to and fully utilise the potential for comedy. There's a mother who runs into debt after the customers of her chain of shops selling tat stop saying “keep the change”, a father who has a sex-change after discovering a loop hole that allows him to have his debts written off, an online gambling addict older sister and a younger one who's obsessed with pennies.
Whilst odd, their back stories aren't meaty enough and there's little sense of comic timing. The songs are hit and miss, many of them distinctly banal, though sung wonderfully. Perhaps expectations were too high; after all when was the last time you heard a good comedy song (save Flight of the Concords)? Sarah Silverman anyone? Didn't think so.
The actors however are multi-talented: singers, musicians and performers certainly capable of delivering a more powerful script should they be given the chance. The strongest actor is also the director Sarah Thom who makes the adorable, impulsive cleaner Vera so vividly maternal and funny, I wonder if this couldn't be turned into a one woman show.
Forever in Your Debt runs at Jacksons Lane Theatre until 27th March
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