HappyLand

C    31 July, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 @ 20.15    Feed the Ducks Productions

On the face of it, this musical follows the classic arc of set up, travel to a foreign land, crisis, love, a battle – then, the triumphant return. All the elements are there, but the execution requires much tighter threading of all these elements to fully realise the dramatic arc of the story. I had to admire the sheer scale and imagination of HappyLand, but that scale caused problems in the linking of scenes and the through-line of the narrative. When embarking on a production such as this, the director must secure all the scene changes to make sure the musical flows seamlessly. We are in an unbelievable world here, so there cannot be any time in the action where the audience is allowed to sit back and question what is happening in a functional way. The pace and attack suffered greatly due to an inconsistency of style and energy. All that said, the music and lyrics were bold and inventive. With a more polished production I could well see HappyLand being a very entertaining show. The work has clearly been put in with the lyrics and the score. Now the book needs attention, and how you deliver that overall story. Good music alone does not a musical make.