Review: Spring Showcase

The jazz hands were out once more as GMTG certainly did not disappoint with their Spring Showcase.

I think it is near impossible to come away from a GMTG show feeling underwhelmed. The Spring Showcase promised a great array of musical theatre numbers with a hefty cast of forty-two. I’m glad to say it definitely delivered! From classics such as ‘We Will Rock You’ and Abba’s ‘Voulez-Vous’, to more obscure numbers such as Avenue Q’s ‘Sucks To Be Me’ and the quirky ‘Superboy and The Invisible Girl’, there was something for everyone.

The society had upgraded for this particular performance, meaning those attending had to travel (what felt like) a distance spanning the entire Midlands to the MAC Theatre in Edgbaston. It even had real ticket collectors and ushers – it was all very fancy! The benefit of making its audience travel far and wide meant that the fifteen-strong band could be seen at the back of the stage the whole time, which added such a professional touch and meant that we were able to gawk in envy at their talents (even more so as we could see them swapping instruments and roles as if they were passing sweets around)!

The lights were dimmed and audience hushed, which signalled the beginning of a two hour emotional rollercoaster of twenty-six musical numbers. The performance was filled with super sassy renditions of ‘Dream Girls’, ‘Holding Out For A Hero’ and ‘Big Spender’, coupled with tear-jerking solos from Georgina Thomas and Sara Otung. To add to the spectacle, there were  songs which seemed to break all social taboos- singing cheerfully about dildos, masturbation and marijuana! What more could you want from a Tuesday evening?

One personal favourite was Becky Yeomans and David Woods’s rendition of ‘Temp and the Receptionist’, a song which placed office-related puns seamlessly into chat-up lines. With lines such as “I could fax you all night” and “I’ll transfer all your phone calls directly to my pants”, the audience is now set to leave University and partake in a wonderfully pun-filled office romance.

Even after all the theatricals, the audience were blindsided by a stripped down a cappella version of ‘How Will I Know’ from ‘The Bodyguard’, which only served to show how talented the cast members are as performers.

Although there were slight microphone issues at some points of the performance and a difficulty in hearing the soloists over the band, the evening was filled with exceptional talent and extreme professionalism.

If you didn’t get a chance to see this musical extravaganza, never fear, because not only do they do this every season (apart from Autumn – which is sad), there are also plenty of opportunities to see these talented individuals tread the boards once more. What some are calling “the highlight of their Summer term”, GMTG are putting on a performance of The Phantom of the Opera in the Debating Hall between 13th-17th May. So – quite frankly – you have no excuses not to experience the sparkle of GMTG!

#ShowcaseSelfie