Eve Miller
Six the Musical meets the Backstreet Boys, World’s Greatest Lover: The New Musical is guaranteed to steal your heart.
The plot is silly in a good way: Romeo, Casanova, Cyrano de Bergerac and the Marquis de Sade are rounded up by Saint Valentine to help him save love, and compete for the title of world’s greatest lover along the way. Rather predictably, but heartwarming none-the-less, they realise that they need to stop competing, address their individual flaws, and learn from one another.
All five leads commit to the silliness of the concept with remarkable grit, dancing their silk shirts off and dutifully flirting with the audience (from a safe distance). The stand out is Will Ingram as Cyrano de Bergerac, who plays the role with puppy-dog eyes and sincerity – you just want to wrap him up in cotton wool. He also raps in the opening number in one of the most lyrically and musically innovative sections of the score.
Joshua Bergasse’s choreography is entertaining, as expected of an Emmy- and Tony-award-winning choreographer. His choreo fills the bare stage with energy and excitement throughout, with some real wow moments that tease whoops and cheers from the audience. The costumes work really well as shorthand for their personalities (see Casanova’s unbuttoned silk shirt and Marquis de Sade’s bondage gear), and to distinguish each lover from the others while also creating a cohesive boyband feel.
The book is slightly weak, writing the characters as caricatures and lacking emotional depth at times. The cultural references already feel dated (labubu anyone?), but the music and choreography more than make up for it, and it’s hard to stay mad at a performance that makes you smile this much.
The musical casts a broad net, sacrificing specificity for broad appeal, but that isn’t a crime. It achieves what it sets out to do, and has a bloody good time doing it. The singing, dancing, and production elements are all exceptional, and the message of emotional openness and positive masculinity is refreshing.
Charming, disarming, and infectiously optimistic, World’s Greatest Lover will have you dancing in your seat from the first moment to the last.
Drink recommendation: Gaviscon, for your heartburn.
You can catch World’s Greatest Lover: The New Musical at Pleasance One at Pleasance Courtyard from 31st July to 24th August (not 13th or 20th) at 18:00 (60 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Miriam Trujillo
Mike Dorey
Lamesha Ruddock
