Preview: Reefer Madness

We love a good musical here at The Tab, especially when it’s being performed by UEA students!

We sat down with the crew of Reefer Madness to chat about 1930s propaganda, songs with zombies, and mutilated soft toys…

Tab: Give us a synopsis of what Reefer Madness.

 Rob Henderson (director): Reefer Madness is a musical based on a 1930’s anti-marijuana propaganda film, so this film existed and was made to try and convince parents to keep their children away from marijuana and if you watch it, it’s quite boring and laughably bad as well as having quite a clear propagandist message.  It charts the fall from grace of these two lovable high school  teenagers who start off all nice before they’re tricked into a decline into depravity, sex, and violence. Someone fairly recently took the same story and added some songs… and also threw in some bits with zombies and Jesus and stuff. As musicals about marijuana go, it’s not really about marijuana. It’s about propaganda.

Tab: So you wouldn’t say it’s a comedy as such?

 Rob: A comedy-horror.The tongue is pretty forcibly in the cheek.

Tab: Are you working with a full orchestra?

Alex Bellamy (musical director) We’re working with a seven piece band. There is a wide range of music. If you’ve seen any musical from 1970 onwards it’s probably in there. Things like Rocky Horror, Les Miserables, Grease. I genuinely couldn’t think of anybody this would not appeal to.

Tab: Why Reefer Madness over any other musical?

 Rob: Because I thought it was quite different to anything else I’d heard. It’s got really great songs, it’s got this fantastic two-level way of operating. It wonderfully uses tricks to get the audience to care about the characters.

This is going to make Toy Story 3 seem tame.

Tab: Tell us a bit about the set.

Chrissy McMahon (producer): It’s going to be the biggest drama-soc production of the year! There are cardboard cut out cars, and boats and planes and chainsaws. There are toys, stuffed animals being mutilated.  The idea is that this is a production being put on in a 1930’s high school, so no expense has been spared to make this look like every expense has been spared.

Tab: What can we expect from the dancing?

Sam Hind (choreographer): There’s all sorts in there really, such as swing. There’s a big zombie dance number. There’s a showgirl gospel thing, a Vegas number, one vaguely set in heaven. It’s very busy backstage with one thing changing to another. We have a cast of 18, all of whom dance. The auditions were pretty rigorous.

Tab: What have you guys enjoyed most about Reefer Madness?

 Chrissy: For me, it’s such a mad show to put on, I think this is the best team I’ve had for any show at UEA. And that’s been so nice, to put on such a massive show, with this particular team. We’ve got a production team of ten, and every single person has been fantastic and very busy.

Tab: Why should UEA students come to see Reefer Madness?

 Rob: Everybody will enjoy it! It will appeal to anyone who likes musicals. But even people who don’t necessarily like musicals, the characters and the plot and the madness of it will appeal to everyone.

Reefer Madness will be performed on 21, 22 and 23 February at 7pm in the Drama Studio. Tickets are £5 for students and £7 for adults.