Unhappy birthday: Dominque McIntyre (left) as David's sister Chrissy, Isaac Elder as Squirrel, Paige Peddie as Frances, Joseph Peacock as David, Daisy Greenwood as Abigail, Mathew Craig as Dad Eddie, with Genevieve Nicole as Aunt Val and Rebecca Trehearn as mum Kath behind. Pictures: Mark Senior

Becoming Nancy

Birmingham Rep

*****

If you want a coming of age musical that’s fun, laugh out loud at times, has some class music and dance numbers and gets its message across so even those with an IQ in single figures won’t miss it – subtle it ain’t – then this is for you.

Based on Terry Ronald’s 2011 novel inspired by his own youth, this is its second incarnation as a musical having had its world premier in Atlanta in 2019 and now a UK premiere in a new Birmingham Rep production which adds some new songs to the mix in a fast paced, bursting with life tale of friendships, first loves, self-discovery and as the somewhat bitter icing on the cake – bigotry.

It all starts with the casting of the school play by the rather camp sir, Scottish teacher Hamish McClarnon, played with wonderful droll charm by Stephen Ashfield, who originated the role in its world premiere in Georgia. The casting of the school production of Oliver! follows the age-old logic of the best people and best voices for the lead parts . . . except . . .

Gender neutrality they call it, that tin-eared phrase that has given us female Hamlets, Macbeths and the like of late, which might have raised an eyebrow or two at the time but hardly heralded a call to arms, mind you that is now, but way back in 1979 . . .

Casting a boy as (splutters) as Nancy in Oliver!, even if it was only a school play, would have sent shockwaves far and wide with the Dailys messrs Mail and Telegraph incandescent with apoplexy launching ballistic editorials. 

 Stephen Ashfield as camp teacher Hamish McClarnon and Joseph Peacock as a troubled David Starr

So, that is the start of it all, the eponymous Nancy, the role that young David Starr is asked to become is the catalyst for a culture war between the academic and the athletic wings of the East Dulwich comp, the nerds versus the jocks as you might say.

It might be oversimplified stereotyping but if your musical is about conflict you need sides and quick, after all did Shakespeare ever really explain the history of the antagonism of the Montagues and Capulets? Just accept it is footy team v drama students and move on.

Joseph Peacock is a likeable David, and adds a great voice to proceedings, his cheeky asides though the fourth wall endear him to the audience from the off, we are all his mate even if the footy team aren’t.

He is a bit of an outsider, not a weirdo or outcast mind, just unsure of himself, uncertain of who he really is, a problem one supposes that confronts many a teenager, gay or not.

He loves his music and is happiest in his room with his posters of Sting, Blondie and Kate Bush, who come alive to guide him. They look remarkably like his teacher Mr McClaren, his mum, Rebecca Trehearn and Aunt Val, Genevieve Nicole, but obviously can’t be as they are merely figments of his imagination – even so, even only imagined, Kate Bush is something special, just (wave arms about) saying.

David’s big mate is Frances Bassey played, or rather, in this case, completely owned by Paige Peddie, last seen in these parts as Lorrell in Dreamgirls at the Alex. She has a voice to die for and really knocks it out of the park with her show stopper of an anthem Who I Am, a last minute addition to the show, added after the programmes were printed. After that we all know who she is!

Frances is one of the targets for soccer team star and knuckle dragging Neanderthal Jason Lancaster, who is the school’s poster boy for racism and homophobia in a lovely, if unlovable performance from Seb Harwood.

Paige Peddie as Frances Bassey and Joseph Peacock as David.

Frances is sassy, and despite the constant needling from Lancaster and his National Front mates, she is well able to fight her corner when push comes to shove, or more a knee in the groin in this case.

The National Front, for younger readers, was the English Defence League of its day, prevalent in the 1970s and the forerunner of the current crop of ultra right wing cadres today.

Lancaster’s mentor is the sports teacher Bob Lord, a famous name in the more civilised history of football incidentally, as Burnely fans will know.

 This Bob, though, is the sort of teacher who thinks track suits are formal wear and sweat is a deodorant. It appears he was abandoned by evolution years ago as he snarls his way through a mucho macho display in a deliciously obnoxious portrayal by Richard Meek.

The other soccer star is Maxie Boswell given a devil may care air by Joseph Vella. Max is given the role of Bill Sykes, the bad guy, but it turns out he is the good guy, befriending David and not joining the torrent of gay insults from the footy lot aimed at the boy in a frock.

The pair find a friendship that grows into . . . well, discovery is not always simple or straightforward or settled.

When it comes to indecision we have Isaac Elder as Squirrel, one of the soccer team, right hand man, or rather loyal pet of Lancaster, cast as Bullseye, Sykes’ dog in the musical, his mom was the only person who would speak to Frances' parents when they first arrived here - so will Frances drag him back from the dark side? The answer is the cost of a ticket.

David’s home life was simple, Aunt Val was always understanding and supportive, mum Kath was, well, mum and then there was Dad, Eddie, played or rather moaned through by Mathew Craig with his own compartmentalised and very ordered view of life. His answer to any problem was to go off and feed his pigeons or head down to the pub. A son who might even be a shade effeminate, or, God forbid, gay had no answer no matter how many pigeons were fed or pubs visited. It just would not compute so it was banned.

Genevieve Nicole as Aunt Val and Daisy Greenwood as a tearful Abigail Henson at the bus stop for their bittersweet duet for the lonely, On the Night Bus.

The music was good, if unremarkable at times, but the three best songs went to the girls with Frances and her anthem then the saccharine sweet About Six Inches From Your Heart from mum Rebecca Trehearn. It might be almost drowning in sentimentality, but it struck a chord loud and clear with every mum, and let's be honest, every dad as well in the audience. It was a song about about pretty well every child ever born.

Then Genevieve Nicole as Aunt Val joined Daisy Greenwood’s sad figure of David's school friend Abigail Henson waiting for the bus.

Abigail, the tart with a heart, has fallen hook, line and sinker for David who had invited her to his 17th birthday party as his “girlfriend” to assuage his father’s suspicions he might be gay. She is a prop, no more, and David brushes her off in a heartless manner, a cruel way that Val, leaving after a family row, points out to him in no uncertain, angry terms that it was unbecoming of who he is or wants to be, and he should be ashamed. Do unto others springs to mind here.

Val and the heartbroken Abigail meet at the bus stop and sing the emotional duet On The Night Bus about lost loves and loneliness – almost universal landmarks in adolescence . . . and beyond. It is one of life's little ironies that a sad song about loneliness is a duet.

The singing throughout is first class and the performance could not be faulted. This is early in the run and there are a few rough edges here and there, the first act is good, the second better, but the ending is all in a rush and it’s hardly a spoiler to say it is predictable from the moment Max’s parents . . . now, that would be a spoiler.

The potential is there for a great musical. It has a classy creative team starting with director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell who also directed the show in Atlanta, with music from George Stiles, lyrics by Anthony Drewe and a book from Elliot Davis.

For the UK premiere there were additional songs from Davis and Stiles along with original novelist Terry Ronald.

The set, from David Rockwell and TJ Greenway was a masterpiece of complex simplicity with a slide out platform hidden stage rear behind a screen sliding out with settings changed while the action is stage front with RORO furniture, walls, doors – whatever is needed with a video backdrop from Dick Straker to provide context.

The band are hidden away but make their excellent mark under musical director Sarah Burrell.

The result is a fun musical which champions being who you are and being who you want to be, while meeting homophobia and racism head on – if only it was that easy to defeat them. It gets its message across with no fuss, we even have a riot after an attack by balaclava clad thugs at a Rock Against Racism concert to emphasise the point, but we all know the good guys will win in the end and will supply enough feel good to keep you going to Christmas. Becoming Nancy has become a night of solid entertainment, there to be enjoyed at Birmingham Rep to 02-11-24. 

Roger Clarke

15-10-24

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