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EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS.........................................EVENING
STANDARD
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HAIRLINE.......................................................................METRO
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BROADWAY BABY.........................................................ONE
4 REVIEW ...................................................
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WHATS ON STAGE.COM ..............................................FEST
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THREE WEEKS .............................................................THE
STAGE
MUSICAL
THEATRE MATTERS
EDINBURGH
EVENING NEWS -
Musical gem that is set to take off
in a big way
THERE'S a magic rule of thumb that pervades Edinburgh
in August; the larger the venue, the more expensive the set,
the more disappointing the show.
While exceptions pop up every now and then, Departure Lounge sticks firmly to
the rule, showing spectacularly just what it's possible to do with four plastic
chairs and two good guitarists in the space of 90 minutes.
Describing itself as High School Musical with a hangover, the story is a very
British homage to four teenage boys coming of age.
Think Summer Holiday but with Gary and Tony from Men Behaving Badly driving the
bus.
Although easily mistaken for the usual British lager louts lining the beaches
of the Spanish Costas, there's rather more imagination and a lot more soul-searching
under the boys' sun-blistered veneer than the usual holidaymakers.
The scene is set in a Spanish airport, capturing perfectly the frustration and
life-changing magic of the four-hour mark in a departure lounge.
Anything under and there's still hope, anything more and it's time to heave out
the Vera Lynn and start organising a place to sleep behind the closed EasyJet
desk on a piece of cardboard, using your rucksack as a pillow and the free FT
you got passing through Schiphol as an eye-mask.
Caught in limbo between the week they've just spent boozing in Malaga and the
A-level results waiting to decide their future at home, JB, Jordan, Pete and
Ross have nothing to do but wait.
In the following hour and a half, the secrets they've been hiding from one another
tumble out. The week they've just spent drinking together and the mysterious
Sophie, who knows far more about them than they know about themselves, plays
a significant part in upending their friendship.
Written by actor Dougal Irvine, the musical has already won several plaudits
and a short run at the Arts Theatre in London as Unzipped.
The space this has afforded the play to develop is much in evidence.
The interactions between the boys are relaxed and authentic. It is almost as
if you're sitting in on one of your little brother's conversations. There's the
same camaraderie, in-jokes and politically incorrect ribbing from years of fighting
together over Top Trumps in the playground.
The songs naturally flow from the dialogue and the characters' own traits and
Jordan's dislike of the term gay being used in a derogatory way triggers a fabulous
and utterly Chavtastic justification in song of using it as a sweary word.
In many ways, the tale brings back all the nostalgia and affection we have for
the friends who are forever sworn to secrecy about our darkest teenage secrets,
and most of the adult ones too. Who doesn't remember that last lazy summer spent
with your pals before heading off to face the big bad world alone?
Completely unpretentious in its nature, Departure Lounge is one of those rare
gems that an audience can relate to, no matter their class, education or age.
It might even persuade some of those lads not out of place in a Karaoke bar tearfully
singing Angels and chugging After Shock to give culture a try.
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HAIRLINE
There is always that moment, half way through
a show, where you realise that, what you are just watching,
is the best Fringe show you are going to see that year.
It is that show which you will rave to your friends
about, and which you will go see again and again. It
is that show that you would actually help to flyer,
pouring rain or not, down the Royal Mile, if that got
more people in. That show is, without a doubt, Departure
Lounge.
The idea is very simple: four guys as stranded in Malaga’s airport after
a week of beach and alcohol, due to their Ryanair flight back to London being
delayed. They are at that moment in life when they have finished their A-levels,
and they don’t know where life will take them next. It’s an American
Pie of sorts, but with better actors, far better script, and some very catchy
tunes. This is, after all, a musical.
Though at the beginning you might think that you are about to see a series of
British and Spanish patronising clichés, stick with it, since soon you
realise that this is not the case. The four lads are outstanding in their roles
(the girl of their flashbacks is quite good too, though her time in stage is
too short), and they bring a warmth and honesty to their characters, revealing
secret identities which you didn’t think they had. The best of the show,
without a doubt, has to be the music, though. The fantastic tunes and laugh out
loud lyrics have your feet tapping, and your hands clapping from the get go.
The four strong leads have a blast with the songs they are given to perform,
and their dance sequences are a riot.
Departure Lounge is a real treat, a rare find, a show so good, you can stop yourself
from praising it at all times. Five minutes standing ovation at the end is mandatory.
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ONE 4 REVIEW
Last years musical hit of the Fringe for me was 'Eurobeat
- Almost Eurovision' a big budget production now touring
the UK prior to a season in London’s West End.
So far this Fringe I have been totally wowed by a much
smaller budgeted show with a cast of five, two musicians
and small select crew. West End International, Newpalm
Productions and Andy Barnes Productions present 'Departure
Lounge' a musical by Dougal Irvine.
In Malaga airport we meet four lads returning home to receive their exam results,
prior to growing up, splitting up and having to go their own ways. This holiday
was a final celebration of their friendship but just how has the past 7 days
affected these close friends?
J.B. (Mike Shearer) tall, hunky and posh. J. B. seems to feel responsible for
Ross to the extent he almost mothers him. Is this because the only person to
even have noticed he is not at home is the family Butler?
Pete (Luke Kempner) at first glance Pete is a typical English yob, full England
football kit with tomato red burnt skin to clash. Pete has a guilty secret, but
a lads needs come before friendship, don't they?
Jordan (Stuart Matthew Price) always a hit with the girls, quieter than the others,
never gets too pissed but is prone to seeing things he wishes he hadn't. Some
would say the conscience of the gang.
Ross (Tim Edwards) a bit of a mummies boy let off the leash for the first time.
Sadly although he meets the love of his life Sophie, nothing happens because
he is always vomiting after drinking too much.
Finally Sophie (Hayley Angel Wardle) the lass they meet on holiday.
The lads are stuck in the 'Departure Lounge' on the way home when tempers flare
and a few home truths are aired. Told by both narrative and song the style of
which changes frequently. We see humour, pathos and tragedy.
Created and written by Dougal Irvine who also plays guitar
on stage with Phil James who is also the musical director.
Beautifully written with an obvious insight to the subject
matter. This show has a fresh rawness about it
I have rarely seen since my first visit to 'Saucy Jack
and the Space Vixens' some Fringes ago. Many of the musical
numbers could stand alone and the melodies and words
linger till the next knockout song.
The fact that this quartet of gorgeous young talented
men fulfils the requirements for any successful boyband
in today’s almost cheesy pop culture. must be
a bonus. Poor Hayley as Sophie almost seems incidental
to the plot and is never on stage singing. They already
seem to have gained a small cult following. judging
by the front row who were singing along and gave the
a standing ovation.
Despite the basic set and some camembert moments
I loved every second of the show and would go back
if given a chance. Look out for the whole cast and
creative team and look out Andrew Lloyd Webber. Be
prepared to stand down the youngsters are coming.
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WHATS ON STAGE.COM
The Brits on tour. Sunburnt, drunk and rowdy, they spread
across Southern Europe much to the chagrin of locals and
the delight of entrepreneurs. This new musical by Dougal
Irvine takes four likeable lager louts and places them in
the departure lounge of a Spanish airport, waiting for their
flight home. The simple premise becomes a joy to watch in
the hands of these incredibly gifted performers.
Mike Shearer plays the laddish J.B., establishing himself
as the wisecracking group leader instantaneously. He’s a wonderfully well-sculpted character,
sure to remind anyone of the irritating jack-the-lad of one’s school days
who expects his friends to be grateful for his presence. Teamed up with insecure,
orphaned Pete (a delightfully fragile Luke Kempner), defensive, closeted homosexual
(Stuart Matthew Price) and adorable ‘runt’ Ross
(Tim Edwards), what follows is an exploration of friendship
and morality, young love and heartbreak, which anyone
born in the last 30 years in England will immediately
identify with.
But it’s not about the acting. These boys never gleam as brightly as when
they’re singing, and without exception they have voices to die for. Shearer’s
throaty ululations complement his flawless Essex-boy vowels, while Kempner displays
an incredibly controlled and technically perfect range. With his cheeky boy-band
looks, Edwards never loses his charm as he belts out poignant solo numbers, and
Price’s vocals are simply angelic - a testament
to his distinguished musical theatre career.
Even cameo Sophie (the gorgeous Hayley Angel Wardle),
literally the girl of the boys’ dreams, is fabulous - she has perfected the gests and manner of a
Costa Brava babe, and blends seamlessly into the lads’ flashbacks.
Occasionally a joke or an innuendo misses its mark, once or twice there was an
overemphasis on a line reminiscent of cheesy US soap opera, and the otherwise
excellent live band (a simple two guitarists) fell out of sync with the performers.
But I heartily recommend a trip to the Departure Lounge before these
phenomenal talents are packing them in in the West End.
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THREE WEEKS
Awaiting their A Level results, four cheeky lads are
stuck in the airport after their not-so-cultured holiday
in Spain (Ryanair is awaiting a crucial delivery of single
serving milk containers). Reminiscing over birds, booze
and mingers, they consider more important issues such as
why they use the word gay as an insult, and whatever happened
on Thursday night. The whole package is there - love, laughs,
awkward arm punches and the token gay and geeky ones. Hilarious
cockiness and banter aside, these boys really can sing
and with gorgeous harmonies, this dose of testosterone
is musical theatre at its best and possibly most accessible
- not camp, not flouncy, just good old fashioned Brits
on Tour!
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MUSICAL THEATRE MATTERS (MTM:UK)
NOMINATED IN ALL 5 CATEGORIES OF THE MTM:UK MUSICAL THEATRE
AWARDS (see NEWS for info)
Setting a musical in the departure lounge of an
airport doesn’t sound like it should work, yet Douglas
Irvine’s musical comedy aptly named, um, ‘Departure
Lounge’, does just that. And to great success.
Four eighteen-year olds are stuck at Malaga airport following a ‘Brits
abroad’, sex and alcohol infuelled holiday on the Costa Del Sol. When their
flight home is delayed, events of the previous few days begin to unfold and the
boys embark on a journey of self-discovery.
The opening number is injected with a fierce energy which continues throughout
the show. Cleverly directed, the lads jump around the stage with an unstoppable
enthusiasm, using just four plastic chairs for a set. Performed by an exceptionally
strong cast, and accompanied by two acoustic guitars (almost as impressive to
watch in action as the show itself!), this is an evening’s entertainment
that is funny and moving, shocking and cringe-worthy…and ultimately brilliant.
Go see it! (But only if you’re over 18…)
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THE STAGE
As brash and obnoxious as the lager-swilling Brits abroad
it depicts, this production nevertheless has a certain cheeky
charm.
While waiting in the Ryan Air departure lounge in Malaga, four British teenage
boys contemplate their week-long holiday – the drinking, the vomiting,
the girls, and their friendship.
Dougal Irvine’s rambunctious book accurately captures the gleefully crude
expressions with which teenage boys address one another.
Essentially a coming of age saga set in an airport, the show’s appeal lies
in its boisterous humour, high-octane dance routines and attractive music, which
is played solely on two acoustic guitars.
Irvine and fellow guitarist Phil James flawlessly accompany the four clear voices
of the boys (Mike Shearer, Luke Kempner, Stuart Matthew Price and Tim Edwards)
to beautiful effect. The contrast between their yobbish behaviour and angelic
voices indicates that most of their loutishness is just posturing.
Irvine’s satire is well observed. One song lampoons the way teenage boys
favour ‘gay’ as an insult above any other word, another exuberantly
and uncomfortably documents the pillaging of Spanish hospitality.
Joyfully crass, the production has all the rowdy energy of a group of teenagers
let loose on the Costa del Sol.
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EVENING STANDARD
By Fiona Mountford, Evening Standard 21.08.08
If you've been near an airport recently, you'll have seen
this sight: sunburnt, football-shirted British "lads",
for whom women are "birds" and everything they
don't like is "gay".
Dougal Irvine has great fun unpacking the stereotype,
giving us 75-energy-filled minutes in the departure lounge
at Malaga Airport, where four friends are stuck after
a post-A-levels holiday.
There are jolly boyband spoofs and the quartet make
a delightful noise when they sing together. Flashbacks
introduce us to the oddly orange Sophie, the object of
the group's muddled affections and the catalyst for some
much-needed air-clearing.
The boys' back-stories could be sharpened, but this
is just the sort of unpolished gem you hope to find on
a damp Edinburgh night.
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METRO
by AMANDA TRICKETT - Thursday,
August 21, 2008
Departure Lounge is a musical about four lads who find
themselves delayed flying home from Malaga airport
after having spent a week boozing, shagging and eating
egg and chips in Spain. It's a pretty basic plot and
it's down to the excellent singing talents of its male
cast (Mike Shearer, Luke Kempner, Stuart Matthew Price
and Tim Edwards) and Dougal Irvine's clever compositions
that the show is not as moronic as the Brits abroad
who inspired it.
There's no subtlety in Departure Lounge and the stereotypes of its four main
characters are clear to see. Dressed in a pair of garish shorts, JB is the joker
of the pack but he secretly uses humour to cover the fact that he just wants
his parents to notice him. Pete is the 'crazy' mate who pukes into an ice cube
tray and freezes it, and Jordan is the ladies man who's spent the holiday getting
jiggy with every female in the resort. The geeky one is Roland, and his fruitless
holiday flirtation with 'Princess Sophie' is ridiculed by the rest of the gang.
Friendships are threatened when secrets bubble to the surface during the time
the lads are stranded in the airport. These emerge during some fantastic song-and-dance
numbers, and while Departure Lounge isn't sophisticated, its comedy songs and
likeable cast mean that it is excellent entertainment.
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BROADWAY BABY
Four English lads are waiting in Malaga airport at the end of a week’s
holiday, about to jet back for their A-level results. Their budget fight is continually
delayed and as they wait their frailties, fears and secrets are gradually revealed
to each other and the audience. Through an hour-plus of witty inventive song
and energetic invigorating dance, friendships are fractured and mended while
we wait for a delivery of individual serving milk cartons.
That is a bare bones summary. Any more exposition here would be unfair to the
writer who has constructed a clever story which works largely through flashback
and one of the boys’ storylines is signed up early from an acute observation
of the current forms of abuse that adolescent British males of all ages use to
communicate with their friends, so even enticing readers of this review with
a gag or two from the show would be doing a disservice to both them and Dougal
Irvine, who writes.
It’s very hard to write a rave review, which this is. The staging could
not be simpler. Two acoustic guitarists sit in a corner throughout, providing
the necessary accompaniment for the songs, and there are another four chairs
which are moved around as needed by the performers. That’s it.
Mike Shearer, Stuart Matthew Price, Luke Kempner and Tim Edwards as the boys
sing, dance and act their parts with clarity, energy and intelligent discrimination
so that none of them becomes a cipher or cliché but discrete personalities,
not merely an amorphous mass of lager louts on the pull, although that aspect
is acknowledged. Hayley Angel Wardle, as the catalyst for the group’s potential
disintegration, is perfect, both suitably blank as a screen on which each lad
can project his ideals and prejudices, and also sharp and sassy, a girl who is
out for her own fun steamrollering over everyone but not incapable of sympathy
and kindness.
Director Pip Minnithorpe, musical director Peter White and choreographer Cressida
Carre appear to be a team made in heaven as collectively they marshal their performers
through the drama, comedy and varied musical idioms. Word has obviously got round
as there was a large expectant audience which, judging from the applause and
shrieks at the end, was more than well satisfied with the entertainment on offer.
There are only a few nights left here in Edinburgh but if you miss the show you
should not worry to much as it would be a great surprise if this marvellous show
does not manage to gain further life elsewhere.
When it does, see it.
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FEST
Written by: Yasmin Sulaiman Published: Wed
13 Aug 2008
Birds, booze and beaches: it’s the perfect holiday formula for the thousands
of Brits that visit the Costa del Sol every year. It’s no different for
JB, Pete, Ross and Jordan, four lairy London boys on tour in Malaga and the stars
of Departure Lounge by Dougal Irvine –one of the most hilarious
and energetic musicals you’re likely to see at this year’s Fringe.
The personalities of the boys, who are on one last group holiday before starting
university, are ideally set up: there’s the bossy but protective leader;
the quiet one bound for Oxford; the "misunderstood" orphan; and the
closet homosexual who gets all the girls. As they while away the time in Malaga’s
departure lounge waiting to board their long delayed Ryanair flight—a situation
with which many of us can identify—the layers of the loud-mouthed personas
are peeled away, revealing four surprisingly well-rounded individuals who are
helplessly endearing, despite their penchant for rowdiness.
The catchy, melodic musical numbers that punctuate each twist and turn of Departure
Lounge are played with understated skill on acoustic guitars by Phil James
and composer Irvine, huddled quietly in the corner. The universally excellent
performances add an infectious exuberance into the proceedings; the strong chemistry
between the actors makes the fictional bonds of friendship seem all the more
real.
Better still, the choreography is dazzling – the boys skip about the stage
with confidence, using every inch of its space and injecting a liveliness into
the play seldom seen in such a small cast. And while the sparse dialogue can
be a little stilted in parts, the whole production is slickly executed and will
have you humming its deliberately boyband-esque tunes long after its uplifting
ending is over.
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