Reviewed: Good Grief

Upon arrival at Fountains Hall, we were greeted by the melancholy sound of an organ playing, the sight of a coffin in the aisle, and cast members dressed in black to welcome ‘mourners’ to the ‘funeral’. This set a somewhat sombre atmosphere for the start of the performance, but we sat in wait of what I was expecting to be a very funny and darkly comic short musical.

For what is billed as a fast paced musical comedy, the opening of the show was a little slow and weak. Initially the cast seemed much more comfortable when they were singing than otherwise. Although some moments had previously lacked pace and energy, Jess Hof as Sam Hart was perfectly pitched and left the audience laughing at her shambolic entry to the funeral.

The performance picked up somewhat during the first scene and became more and more enjoyable. I found myself becoming involved in the complicated relationships between the characters, driven by Lottie Rugeroni’s frantic energy as the controlling Charlotte. Sam Harper-Booth as the much calmer Phil was a wonderful foil to all that energy and they provided a very watchable dynamic during ‘Favourite Fucking Daughter’.

Nevertheless no major laughs had really presented themselves yet, and, for what was meant to be a comedy, this was a little worrying. Not to fear though, the first big laugh of the night came at the end of the funeral scene, with spot on comic timing from both Rugeroni and Hof. I won’t ruin the moment for those who have yet to see it, but it was a great example of what was less black humour and more slapstick comedy and a well-designed move on behalf of the Director, Imogen Beech.

At this point, the action moved into a house, and I have to commend the Production and Technical Team on their relatively simple but well thought out and good looking set, which provided a great background for the complicated  and yet relatable family problems being played out. A particular concern of mine, seeing as this was a musical with such a small, was that the band may drown out the casts’ signing voice. However not to fear! Dave Collins’ musical direction was really commendable, and it was lovely to have the live band onstage.

As the performance went on, the actors developed their characters and gave increasingly better performances and, as a whole, it got funnier as energy levels rose. Izzy Osborne as Tilly Miller is convincing as a youngest sibling who is only just realising that eventually, she has to grow up too, while Lottie’s performance as Charlotte steadily spiralling towards a loss of control and a fabulous fight with husband Phil has a great sense of building frenzied momentum.

I was surprised to learn from the programme that this was Livia Carron’s first musical theatre performance in Durham, as her performance as the predatory cougar Miranda Gould was excellently done at just the right level of caricature. Her vocals were strong, and I found her whole performance wonderfully funny and enjoyable. Her introduction to the story also gave Russell Lamb more of a moment to shine, as his facial expressions during her song ‘Mama Knows What a Man Needs’ were hilarious. Any lack of real comedy at the opening of the performance was definitely surpassed by his character, Freddie, almost falling off the sofa in a desperate, confused bid to escape Miranda Gould’s clutches.

I very much enjoyed Carron’s number in general. The feather boas were a good, very cabaret, choice on Director Imogen Beech’s part. The lighting was well done by Tech Director Catrin Powell whilst the vocals were good from all cast members – it was the funniest musical moment of the show. Sam Harper-Booth’s performance as Phil singing ‘Mental Castration, Emotional Emasculation’ follows closely and also provides some great comedic moments.

It was during the ensemble musical numbers that Good Grief really shined. Where the show occasionally lacked punch during individual moments in between songs, the well-rehearsed melodies that combined vocal and acting talent as a whole were its strength. The harmonies from some of the cast were truly lovely, while the overlapping singing in the final number ‘Grief’ was clearly well rehearsed and it paid off. Although the musical doesn’t have that many sad I actually enjoyed these immensely. The more tender moments of the show were some of its best and should not be overlooked, even though ‘Good Grief’ is advertised as a comedy.

Despite my feeling that ‘Good Grief’ never quite reached the heights of hilariousness I was expecting, it pleasantly surprised me with its personal moments and sweetness during its slower, more pensive musical numbers. It built from a slightly slow start to a good second half with excellent turns from all cast members and a good mix of funny and more titillating moments. The cast had strong unified vocals, a good rapport and they managed to convey believable relationships within a comedy. Overall, ‘Good Grief’ effectively involved me in the Miller children’s personal problems, both humourous and serious, and was a very enjoyable way to spend an hour.

Photographs courtesy of Kyle Wong Photography (https://www.facebook.com/KyleWongPhotography).