LOVE ACTUALLY? A MUSICAL PARODY - Musical Theatre Review

WHAT: Love Actually? A Musical Parody
WHEN: 6 - 23 December 2024
WHERE: Atheneaum Theatre
WRITTEN BY: Bob and Tobly McSmith
COMPOSED BY: Basil Winterbottom
DIRECTION, CHOREOGRAPHY, AND SET BY: David Venn
MUSICAL DIRECTION BY: Danielle Buatti
COSTUMES BY: Heidi Brooks
PERFORMED BY: Ian Andrew, Mitchell Groves, Jeremy Harland, Belinda Jenkin, Sophie Loughran, and Massimo Zuccara
STAGE MANAGED BY: Sam Hornstein

Mitchell Groves and Belinda Jenkin - photo by Nicole Cleary

There are a few absolute Christmas movie staples - shows you have to watch in December every year. These include It's a Wonderful Life, Die Hard, and of course, Love Actually. Love Actually (2003) was one of the first of those big star montage movies and went on to spawn others including Valentine's Day and He's Just Not Into You for example. All of these movies are just begging to be made into parodies and Bob and Tobly McSmith finally took the plunge in 2021 for Love Actually. Love Actually? A Musical Parody is having its Australian debut this month at the Atheneaum Theatre and it is a real hoot.

The McSmiths have an entire closet of parody musicals based on iconic screen gems. Others include The Office, Friends, Baywatch, etc. Parody is a particular artform and whilst it may seem like a lazy way to do comedy it can actually reveal a lot. Love Actually? A Musical Parody is totally silly and stupid, but within all of that clowning and frivolity the McSmiths explore the narrative flaws of the original film. They reveal celebrity culture and how little 'story' matters when it comes to box office takings. They interrogate the audience and ask if they recognise why they choose the tickets they buy. 

Love Actually? A Musical Parody does this by stripping away the 'magic' of film. It calls the characters by the actors' names. They take this concept to an even more hilarious level of meta by forgoing some actors names and actually bringing them into the musical as their most famous characters in other films such as Alan Rickman (played by Jeremy Harland) performing as Professor Snape from the Harry Potter films. I can't tell you how much of a hilarious mind bomb it is to see Severus Snape being seduced by the Fosse-esque moves of Belinda Jenkin.

The levels of parody in Love Actually? A Musical Parody know no bounds and nothing is sacred. Basil Winterbottom's compositions draw from a range of beloved musicals including (but not limited to) Hamilton and Sweeney Todd. The actual music is backing track rather than live and Musical Director Danielle Buatti has wisely taken the time to work with the actors to maintain their characters in their songs. This also helps because they are a younger cast and still developing their vocal strength. I saw the show on a Sunday, and I could tell their voices were a bit tired. I also wondered if the foldback was a problem because there was some pitchiness.

David Venn's direction is smart and simple. He is also the choreographer. There is not a lot of dancing in this musical which is probably a good thing because it does run to just under 2 hrs and to extend it further would not be good for the audience. To be honest, it needs to tighten up another 10 minutes IMO. His set, however, is magnificent and it does a lot of the heavy lifting to keep us in the Christmas spirit from the moment we enter the theatre to the moment we leave. It has real WOW factor.

When I walked into the theatre, I told my peeps all I really wanted from Love Actually? A Musical Parody was a lot of energy and some good laughs. I got all of that and so much more. The cast never stop and between them they play around 50 characters! Every single character is immediately identifiable through the script, Heidi Brooks' amazingly clever costuming, and the strong characterisation by the actors. I laughed within the first 5 minutes of the show and didn't stop until it was over. You can't ask for much more than that I reckon.

I have my favourite characters in the movie, of course, and it is true I loved those characters the most in the musical but that is not a reflection on the others who were all brilliant. After all, you can only work with what the source material gives you. I loved the fluffers in the movie and they were just as funny in the musical (played by Mitchell Groves and Jenkin). Ian Andrews' creates a brilliant Hugh Grant - "the Prime Minister of romcoms" - and Sophie Loughran's Natalie was perfection (as is her portrayal of Emma Thompson).

If I mention everybody and everything this review will never end (although I will give a special shout out to the stage manager, Sam Hornstein, who is obviously a master of prop management). To get the most out of Love Actually? A Musical Parody you need 2 things: first you need to have watched the movie, preferably fairly recently; second you need to just want to have a good time. Don't come to the show expecting high art. This is not that show. Love Actually? A Musical Parody is pure Moliere style farce with a few good tunes and a barrel full of silliness. Exactly what we need in the lead up to the big day!

4 Stars