Rehab: The Musical at Neon194

Yes, I got Rehab as a birthday present! I honestly went into this show wondering what I was getting myself in for, as this was truly a show where going in blind I felt that I could expect anything to happen. This show has a beautiful blend of dark humour and heartfelt moments that will have you laughing your heart out one moment and crying your eyes out the next. All in all, it is a heartbreakingly beautiful show that will make you feel all the emotions. I would say that in terms of content, this show would not be suitable for younger children and I would say that it should probably have a 16+ age rating.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

I went into this show knowing the bow song only, and I have to admit that song did give me a small insight into this show, but I still found it completely unexpected and hilariously dark. The show opens with the audience meeting Kid Pop, through the song K.I.D. P.O.P., who is riotously loud and brilliantly portrayed by Christian Maynard, who throughout the show showcases the dynamic levels of Kid Pop and commands the audience whilst also being able to wear his heart on his sleeve during more emotional and intense moments of the show. The show then transitions into W****R, hilariously led by Simon Shorten as the Judge who also portrays Eric Normal, this song most definitely gives an insight into what type of show this is going to be and is fittingly repeated throughout with perfect comedic timing. The Glade is used to introduce the audience to Rehab and does this extremely well, being led by Mica Paris as Martha Prosser who was dynamic and commanding yet also welcoming in this role which felt like perfect casting for someone running Rehab. However, I did feel that at moments her voice lacked power, but I am aware that I saw the second to last performance of this show, so her voice may have been tired, thus affecting her performance. Obsession is definitely a moment in the show and was unexpected, to say the least. However, this song is brilliantly used to introduce the character of Malcolm Stone as portrayed by Keith Allen and Jodie Steele as Beth Boscombe showcases the starting personalities and thoughts of their respective characters. Slightly later Maiya Quansah-Breed as Lucy Blake showcases her incredible vocals during Through His Eyes, a beautiful moment in the show that gives the audience a glimpse into Lucy's mind and why she chooses to make the decisions she makes. Maiya Quansah-Breed perfectly portrays Lucy's love and hope for her son, showing that she will do anything for him, which is emotionally fueled by Maiya, prompting the perfect response from audience members of sympathising with Lucy. Going back to Rehab; Poor Me, Pour Me Another One provides an introduction to all the members of Rehab; John Barr as Barry Bronze, Oscar Conlon-Morrey as Phil Newman and Rebecca Thornhill as Jane Killy, accompanied by the wonderful ensemble comprised of Carly Burns, Ben Mabberley and Lucy Sinclair. This song is a stunning ensemble moment in the show, providing an insight into the minds of these characters and why they are each at rehab. Ordinary Girl is later performed by Oscar Conlon-Morrey and all I can say is WOW! This song is delivered incredibly and is a beautifully open moment from Phil that was genuinely one of my favourite moments in the show. Christian Maynard once again delivers a hilarious yet incredible performance of Lucy with brilliant additions from all other members of the Rehab ensemble, despite his protests, with this moment being further improved by the perfectly considered choreography of Gary Lloyd and Alex Codd. After W****R is sung again for the first time and is once again hilarious. Following this moment of comedy-fueled joy is Two Broken People, a tearjerking moment in an already emotional show perfectly performed by Christian Maynard and Maiya Quansah-Breed. This song nearly had me in tears and the insight into the more vulnerable sides of Kid Pop and Lucy shows such a heartfelt moment shared between these layered characters, allowing the audience to see the first moment of connection between both of them. Letters Goodbye/Don't Eat Your Feelings was one of the most emotionally challenging moments in the show for me, but was beautifully choreographed and showcased. The power of this scene is a testament to the talent of all of the Rehab members and truly moved me in ways that theatre has never moved me before.

Act 2 begins with Stick to the Plan, further showing the negative side of ambition using Malcon and Beth but also utilises comedy and a catchy tune to make this a song you'll want to listen to again and again. Still Here is another beautiful ballad performed by Oscar Conlon-Morrey that shows the result of his decisions on himself and his wife but provides comfort rather than sadness for the audience due to its delivery and well-timed comedic moments. Museum of Loss is an incredibly powerful duet by Maiya Quansah-Breed and Mica Paris which shows the nature of these two characters and all they have been through throughout their lives leading up to this moment of being in Rehab. Mica Paris once again seemed to lack power at moments of this song, however, also had moments of beautiful power. Maiya Quansah-Breed's powerhouse vocals truly shone through and provided another amazing moment during this show. Die at 27 is a darkly comedic duet between Jodie Steele and Keith Allen that truly shows how far their ambition and drive will take them. This show also showcases the powerhouse ability of Jodie Steele and is another song that you will want to have on repeat. The Cheese Song provides some well-needed pure comedic relief where you get to see the members of Rehab share in joy as they plan their lives for once they leave and discuss their favourite cheeses, this show truly has it all! Falling is another heartfelt moment from Christian Maynard where Kid Pop tries to come to terms with what happened to him and decides to move on. This journey is wonderfully presented to the audience and provides yet again an emotionally charged scene within this show. This song also once again showcases Christian Maynard's incredible voice and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for him. Kid Pop goes on to perform at a concert and through well-planned circumstances is able to finally free himself from his negative cycle and begin to work towards a better tomorrow, and this is shown through considered choreography and utilisation of most of the cast. Two Broken People Reprise is a beautiful duet by Maiya Quansah-Breed and Jodie Steele whose voices complement each other perfectly and this moment is so well used to show the growth of these two characters and their relationship from their first meeting to this moment in the show. W****R is once again repeated at the perfect moment and despite now being repeated 3 times did not fail to make me laugh, regardless of the moment or circumstances of its reappearance. Just for Today is the final song of the show and really is the perfect ending, beautifully showcasing all cast members and the growth of their characters from the start of this show to the final moments.

I cannot recommend this show enough even if I did put myself at risk of being called a W****R during the bows as the cast are finally able to utilise this song to insult the audience and most definitely use this power to their benefit.

Content Warnings:

This show has a very detailed content warning sign which is positioned at the top of the stairs before you walk down into the theatre. Also when I mentioned my blog and anxiety to a member of the Front of House team she checked if there was anything I wanted to know and also checked up on me during the interval and after the show, I wanted to mention her to say thank you to her for going above and beyond and making this an even more lovely experience. The show content warning sign was as follows:

Rehab the Musical takes place in 1999 and the show reflects the language and behaviours of the time.

This production features haze, flashing lights, swearing and strong language.

Rehab the Musical includes descriptions of misogyny, sexualised behaviour, trauma, addiction, drug taking, alcohol abuse, overdose and self-harm.

These warnings were very helpful for the show and my experience was that there were not many specific moments that felt they may be triggering due to how the topics are handled and presented. However, these are moments that I felt could be triggering for others:

The show deals with various forms of addiction throughout
The end of Act 1 is challenging as Phil/Philipa reads their suicide note and walks towards a bright white light whilst the cast sings goodbye and Act 1 ends with a flatline noise. This scene is made more challenging as, at the same time, we see a character blame themselves and all rehab members except Philip deal with what has happened and write their addictions on paper to burn them, making this scene even more powerful and emotional
Implied misogyny, negative judgements and degrading comments throughout
Frequent mentions of eating disorders as one character has a compulsive eating disorder

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)

- AnxiousTheatregoer