Ushers: The Front of House Musical at The Other Palace Studio

Laugh out loud fun! It would be a shame to miss this show during its run at The Other Palace as it will have you in stitches from start to finish. Just don't be late and don't forget you'll need a plastic cup.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

As an ex-theatre usher myself, I knew I had to see this show and I was most definitely not disappointed. This was an amazing show that I am so glad to have seen, I was dying of laughter from start to finish, and so much of it reflected my own experiences, which made it even funnier. This show does feature lots of audience participation, so that is something to be aware of, especially if you are sitting in the front row, however, for me this made the experience even more immersive and enjoyable. The use of the TV screen amidst the simple set throughout provides imaginative and well-placed transitions between the show, which once again add to the overall enjoyability of this production. Furthermore, the impeccable use of up-to-date theatre references, specific cast members for Love Island: The Musical and references to previous roles cast members were all perfectly timed and delivered frequently, leaving me and the rest of the audience in stitches.

The cast features Bethany Amber Perrins as Rosie, Luke Bayer as Ben, Christopher Foley as Stephen, Daniel Paige as Robin, Danielle Rose as Lucy and Cleve September as Gary. All of the cast are extremely talented and put on such an enjoyable and impressive performance that is not one to be missed.

The show opens with the TV screen introducing us to Theatre Nation and the TV is frequently used throughout the show for comedic purposes and as part of scene changes. This is such a creative addition to a show that I have only seen similar before in 9-to-5. In the case of Ushers especially, it added so much and was still hilarious to watch. We are then introduced to the company through the song Welcome!

Welcome! is performed by the full company of this show and is truly the perfect opening as it showcases the talent of all of the cast whilst establishing their characters alongside their personalities, roles within the theatre and various relationships before the show starts. It also brilliantly encompasses the feeling of Front of House staff during the opening of the show as they attempt to get everyone into the theatre before the show starts. Spend Per Head is the next song of the show and is led by Daniel Paige as Robin. This show is used to expertly introduce the attitudes of Robin as the Theatre Manager whilst also highlighting Daniel Paige's range and talent. At this moment, we had some late-comers who were called out and made to partake in a game show-style dash to their seats. Robin went on to inform them that they had unfortunately missed his big number in Act 1 but not to worry as he'd have another one in Act 2. Leading Men is performed by Bethany Amber Perrins as Rosie where she is joined by The Boys made up of Luke Bayer, Christopher Foley, and Cleve September. This song is brilliantly hilarious and Bethany's ability to engage the audience from start to finish whilst continuously leaving them in stitches throughout is out of this world. The Boys further add to this song with their dance and perfect comedic characterisations throughout, especially whilst interacting with Rosie. Induction is performed by Bethany Amber Perrins, Luke Bayer, Christopher Foley, Danielle Rose, and Cleve September as the Ushers and once again goes on to show the accurate mindset of Front of House staff, especially during their first shift, which is shown by Lucy's situation where she becomes overwhelmed with everything that has to be done during the Acts. The use of the costume rack to showcase many patrons is absolutely perfect even if I did feel called out by the comments about Theatre Critics and Stagies due to their scary accuracy, especially the comments about Stagies which brilliantly incorporated Cleve September's previous role in Hamilton. The Parts I Could Play is performed by Christopher Foley as Stephen and is an honest expression of the hope many Front of House staff have to get their big break at some point and secure the lead role, especially whilst trying to avoid type-casting. The song emphasises the vocal and characterisation talent of Christopher Foley as he utilises the entire studio to envelope and involve the entire audience in his hopes and dreams, making this moment all the more heartfelt and raw. Dreams & Ice-Creams performed by Danielle Rose as Lucy further highlights the aspirations of some Front of House staff as she imagines herself finally appearing on a West End Stage. This is a beautiful song that is made even more powerful by Danielle Rose's phenomenal vocals. (It's Time To) Let Go is performed by Luke Bayer as Ben which provides a stark contrast to the previous two songs as Ben contemplates letting go of everything he knows now and giving up on his hopes of appearing on the stage. Once again incredible vocals, this time from Luke Bayer added so much to this song. Furthermore, the raw emotion and power shown by his talent had me moved to tears as this song is truly an impactful moment within this feel-good show. Interval Preparations brilliantly ends Act 1 as it truly makes this show feel as though it is occurring whilst the show within this show is going on in this background, which is true to the lives of ushers at work whose shifts and tasks are dictated by the acts and interval. The timing of this with the actual interval is perfect as it makes the audience feel even more involved in this show as though they are actively watching ushers at a theatre.

Welcome Back! is performed by the full company serving as a repeat to the style of Welcome! which brilliantly shows how the start of Act 1 and Act 2 are equally stressful for the Front of House team as they answer the same questions they've answered 100 times before. This repetitive style is the perfect start to Act 2 as it shows the final thoughts of the Ushers before they get to close the doors for Act 2, but by being much shorter than Welcome! is also able to express the fast-paced nature of the interval. Half-Finished Story is performed by Cleve September as Gary and is a beautiful moment of reminiscing and looking to the future simultaneously as Gary weighs up his choices that have been presented throughout the show. Cleve September's talent allows him to provide an honest moment of emotion and reality, with vocals that will leave you speechless. Cutting through the comedic nature of the prior and next song provides a stark contrast of atmosphere, highlighting the importance of the choice Gary must make and this moment is brilliantly utilised by Cleve September to draw the audience into the emotions of Gary at this moment. The Ballad of Robin Pockets is his big song in Act 2 (his own words to latecomers who missed his big song in Act 1) and Daniel Paige uses this song to perfectly highlight Robin's backstory in a comedic yet heartfelt manner whilst showcasing his incredible range. The unexpected twists and turns of this song further add to the unpredictable nature of this entire song, which serves its purpose of maintaining audience engagement and interest from start to finish. Loving You is All I Know is the duet between Gary and Ben, and what can I say about this moment of raw emotion and honesty during this hilarious show is that it truly must be experienced to be understood and appreciated fully. Cleve September and Luke Bayer blew me away with their incredible vocals and characterisation of this heartwarmingly beautiful moment. The Ballad of Robin Pockets (Reprise) is Daniel Paige's final moments before the curtain call and he certainly does not let this moment go to waste with one final incredible performance before he accepts his fate in the show. Goodbye! is the final song of the show and is once again performed by the full company which follows the same beat as Welcome! and Welcome Back! allowing these songs to perfectly divide the show into the two Acts based on how they will be experienced by the Front of House Staff. This is the perfect end to this wonderful show and the speed-run of multiple musicals during this moment is hilariously fitting for this show.

All in all, this is a hilariously fun show with moments of raw emotion that slice through the comedy with incredible power due to the talent of this cast and I cannot recommend enough catching this show whilst it is at The Other Palace Studio.

Content Warnings:

This show has a sign on the wall next to the bar within the studio space which features the relevant content warnings which are as follows:

Age Recommendation: 16+
Trigger Warnings:
Audience Interaction
Flashing Lights
If you have any concerns, please speak to a member of the front of house team.

This show did not prove to be upsetting or triggering for me, however, there were some moments that I have decided to highlight below:

At the start of the show, there is a loud voice before the TV turns on, which caused myself and many other audience members to jump due to being startled
During Act 1, there is a bright flash near the start before someone says "I told you no photos"
There are moments of homophobia - Robin makes a comment about Gary and Ben, after he has hit Gary, and Rosie walks in
Throughout the show, members of the audience had a torch shone in their face
If you are sitting on the front row, you will be very close to the cast as they use the aisle between these seats and the stage frequently throughout the show

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

- AnxiousTheatregoer