Lamesha Ruddock
Like the good old days at university! Reminiscing, confrontation and a good old sing and dance: an incestuous friendship group gets tricked and locked up for an hour for Escape Room: The Musical.
Punny Johnny with a hat, an anxiety-riddled tap dancer, Ellie who knows best, Poppy who knows better, Liv (she’s a Leo), a random French guy and Max must come together and work as a team for their freedom but who brought them together is the real mystery along the way.
When the texts get slower, when the calls get declined how far would you go to engineer a scenario to see your old chums once again? Booking out the Caves at Just the Tonic, paying the fringe fee and inviting an audience of 40 odd people?
This was an absolutely delightful, meta and relatable musical really tapping into the ridiculous spirit of Fringe. Cleverly written and directed by Tom Rolph, I was completely sold on the extents one would go to be with the people they love again.
A literal cave. 3 pull up banners used as the backdrop that have “shuffle, time, step, laddle”, an image of a grandfather clock and “PL Countries Visited”. 2 wooden chairs stage right, 1 wooden chair stage left. A wee wooden table upstage centre with a Black vintage wind up phone.
Several years post university and somethings have changed. Liv played by Issie Roll and Johnny with a hat played by Dennis Hughes have a pull and push relationship, never quite satisfied. Roll is snappy, vibrant and masterful at underplaying self-inflicted drama. Hughes is deflective, wholly unserious and selective with his vulnerability. The nervous wreck of Johnny (J) captured by James Taylor is wirey, perfect comedic timing building to a wonderfully tender resolution. The sisters, Ellie and Poppy portrayed respectively by Hermoine Lester and Emily Holland are more alike than they’d like to admit. They are competitive, sometimes selfish but hold deep unconditional love. Félix Marceau’s Pierre who has other fringe shows to get to, is wise, inquisitive and wistfully poetic, especially when in French. Marceau accurately represents the thoughts of the audience out loud. Immersive elements including finding clues made for a real joyous audience experience.
Playful choreography from Hermione Lester and Naomi Park as they break out into the catchy instrumental numbers composed by Tom Rolph and Michael Rincon brilliantly visualised the pack mentality as secrets are revealed.
Beautiful, melodic singing from the company that permeated the space especially when the ensemble sang together. I would say I did agree with Johnny with the Hat when he said “a little louder for the oldies at the back” for the solo moments.
Brilliant first show of the Fringe run, enjoy solving puzzles for the rest of the run!
Written at Let Me Eat, Cowgate.
Recommended Drink: Cappuccino
Catch Escape Room: The Musical between 31st July and 24th August at 10:15pm. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Jamaican Nation Language Translation
Laik di gud ool dehz a yunivaarsiti! Wi a reminisce, a likkle clash, an wan gud ool sing an dans: wan mix-up frendem get trick an lok-op fi wan ouwa fi Escape Ruum: di Myuuzika (Escape Room: The Musical).
Ponni Johnny wid di hat, wan anxiiety-ridl tap dansa, Ellie weh nuo bes, Poppy nuo beta, Liv (shi aa Leo), wan randam Frenchman an Max, haafi kom tugeda an wuk laik wan tiim fi get dem friidam, but hu bring dem? Dat a di mystery dung di road.
Wen di tekst dem staar get slo, wen di kaal dem get kut bak, hau fa yuh go fi wan plan fi si yuh ool bredrin dem agen? Buk out di Keiv deya Jus di Taanik, peh di Frinj fi, an invite a olipa of peopledem?
Dis myuuzikal wicked, meta, an full a vibes, di kina madness Frinj built pan. Tom Rolph rait an direct it bright bad, mi beliv yuh wuda try evryting to get bak a yaad.
Wan real keiv. Tri banna weh pull up weh say “shuffle, time, step, laddle”, plus wan picha a grongfada klak an “PL Countries Visited.” Tu wudn chie a stage rait, wan stage lef. Likkl wudn tebl up-a stage ova di siinta, wid wan blak, ool taim wain-op foun.
Sevral yia afta yunivaarsiti, an evryting change. Liv, plaied bai Issie Roll, an Johnny wid di hat, plaied bai Dennis Hughes, dem ina wan push-an-pul ting, neva quite settle. Roll a wicked and liad bad. Hughes every ting im jok bout.
Nervas Johnny (J), plaied bai James Taylor a shy an funny an in na da end im full of nuff lyrics. Di sista dem, Ellie an Poppy (Hermione Lester an Emily Holland), unu more alike dan dem waan admit. De 2 a dem evah a war, dem competitive, at taim selfish, but yuh nuo seh “blud ticka dan waata.”
Pierre, di Frenchman (Félix Marceau), hu hab nuff Frinj show to go, ah wise, nosy an fulla sweet talk, speshli wen him spiek French. Im nuo how di peopledem feel, im voice a fi wi mind. Immersiv ting dem, laik cluu-hontin, gi wi one gud time.
Di playfu choriografii fram Hermione Lester an Naomi Park mek di ting look mi di watch it agen kuz di myuuzik soond nais (mek bai Tom Rolph an Michael Rincon) an gi wi strong visual wen di kru muuv laik wan pack, wen di sikret buss out ino.
Wen dem all siing tugeda, di cave did shake! Mi did haffi agri wid Johnny wid di hat wen im seh, “mek it likl louda fi di ool foks dem a di bak,” espeshli fi di solo paat dem.
Waan gud fust shoo fi dem Frinj ron. Enjai solving di pozzldem fi di balance.
Rrait a Let Mi Iit, Kawegeit.
Recommended Drink: Cappuccino
Catch Escape Room: The Musical between 31st July and 24th August at 10:15pm. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Phoebe Bakker
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