BOTI Reviews | Sing-A-Long-A-Musical

We headed to Ironworks for Sing-A-Long-A-Musical and, from the first song, any notion of sitting quietly and politely enjoying the show quickly disappeared.

The premise is simple: a live band, two singers and a room full of musical theatre fans. Lyrics are projected onto a screen, the audience is actively encouraged to join in and, before long, the entire room is belting out show tunes at full volume.

Before the first song, there was a quick introduction with full permission to leave our dignity at the door. Clapping, dancing, shimmying, singing our hearts out – it was all encouraged. This wasn’t a show to sit through quietly. The audience was very much part of the performance.

The five performers worked brilliantly together. Two singers and three musicians kept the energy high throughout the night. The musicians deserve particular credit. Keeping a room full of enthusiastic singers on track for two hours is no small feat.

There were no lengthy pauses, no awkward breaks and barely a moment to catch your breath between songs. The music just kept coming.

The setlist bounced cheerfully between Disney classics, West End favourites and crowd-pleasers from films and musicals. One minute we were enthusiastically murdering a Disney anthem, the next we were in Hamilton territory before somehow ending up dancing and singing along to Abba. The constant gear changes kept the energy up and meant there was rarely a song that didn’t have at least part of the room joining in.

The singers were strong throughout and helped carry the audience along. Yes, there were moments when they glanced at the lyrics screen, but let’s be honest, we were all doing the same.

The fun wasn’t limited to the music either. Props made regular appearances too, from inflatable guitars to assorted animals, and generated some of the night’s biggest laughs. Audience members were invited on stage, dressed up to match the theme and encouraged to join the fun.

Nobody seemed worried about hitting the right notes or remembering every lyric. The focus was on having fun, singing loudly and enjoying the shared experience of live music and musical theatre.

By the end of the night, any embarrassment about singing in public had long since disappeared. So if you’ve ever wanted an excuse to belt out musical theatre favourites with a room full of strangers, Sing-A-Long-A-Musical is it.

By Pauline Sablayrolles

brightonfringe.org